Coming Home Part Two
by Ghost Wulf
Summary: Torn from the Battle City tournament and thrust into a virtual world, Yori and the gang quickly find that all's fair in revenge and family feuds. The ticket to escape is winning against an elusive enemy—but how do you win a game that has no rules?
1. Chapter 1: Change in Plans

_**WARNING! IF YOU HAVE NOT READ COMING HOME PART ONE THEN DON'T READ ANY FARTHER! PART ONE BEFORE PART TWO, PEOPLE!**_

_Authoress's Note: I'm now italicizing mental communication, just so you know!_

**Coming Home Part Two**

_Author: Ghost Wulf_

_Dedicated To: Lego, Elphaba, and all my reviewers!_

_Thanks for all the support on all my stories!_

_Chapter 1: Change in Plans_

Yugi woke early in the morning – a habit born from years of helping his Grandpa open the Game Shop. He yawned and stretched his arms over his head, surprised when he touched a wall. Opening his eyes, he tilted his head back on the pillow and blinked, even more surprised to see the bed off to his side instead of under him.

Then his mind finally caught up. He was on the floor of his room on Kaiba's blimp because he had let his sister use the bed. Got it.

He stood up and stretched again, rubbing his eyes. When he looked at the bed, his smile widened, lighting up his whole face.

Yori was sound asleep – holding Yami's hand.

The Pharaoh looked up as soon as Yugi looked at him and his face reddened.

_'Don't say anything,'_ he said, his mental voice echoing in Yugi's mind.

_'Nothing to be ashamed of, Yami,'_ Yugi replied, folding up the blanket he had been using and laying it on the table. He grinned at the spirit.

_'I'm not ashamed,'_ Yami sniffed.

_'Then don't blush – and don't let go.'_

_'I wasn't going to,'_ he said, and then his blush darkened and he looked away, his face blank.

Yugi saw right through the forced look. Yami was obviously happy. He was sitting right next to Yori on the bed, his back against the wall and his head tilted slightly towards her sleeping form – no doubt because he had been watching her before Yugi awoke. Even now, his eyes were straying towards her face.

_'I'm glad you're finally happy,'_ Yugi said seriously.

Yami looked up at him once more, his expression surprised. _'Finally?'_

_'Yeah. Ever since I completed the Millennium Puzzle and met you, you've always been kind of lonely and sad.'_ Yugi smiled gently. _'Lately, that's been going away. I'm glad.'_

A small return smile graced Yami's face and his eyes returned to Yori as he said, _'So am I.'_

Yugi bounced up and down a little at the scene, his smile widening again. They were just so cute together! He was definitely telling Téa about all of this – she was going to flip.

_'I'm gonna see what Kaiba has for breakfast,'_ he said, grabbing the pillow and setting it on top of the blanket. _'What do you think Yori likes?'_

_'Fried eggs on toast.'_

Yugi blinked. He hadn't expected that quick of a response, or one specific option. Yami looked awkward as he messed with the buckled band around his wrist, avoiding Yugi's eyes.

_'She might have mumbled it in her sleep . . . .'_

Yugi forced himself not to giggle. _'Okay, I'll see if I can find some.'_

He eased the door open and slipped out, shutting it as quietly as possible. He didn't know how light of a sleeper his sister was and too much caution was better than none.

He ran into Téa in the hall after the first corner, to his surprise.

"Yugi!" she squeaked, apparently just as surprised.

"Morning, Téa!" he said brightly. "I didn't expect you to be up this early!"

"I didn't expect to be either . . . ." she mumbled, looking down at her hands.

He frowned. "Is something wrong?"

She bit her lip slightly and then shook her head, suddenly smiling. "No, I was just, um, hungry. The meeting room is open you know, want to get breakfast?"

Yugi shook his head slowly. "Téa . . . you're as bad of a liar as I am. What's wrong? Did something happen?"

She sighed. "You're right. It's just . . . I don't know." She gestured around the hall. "This. All of this. I mean, Duel Monsters is a card _game_; it's supposed to be _fun_. So far though, every tournament we've been to has been nothing but disaster. Pegasus stole souls in Duelist Kingdom and now Battle City is even worse – Malik is even worse."

Yugi nodded as she finished. "It's not what I was hoping for, that's for sure. But, then, nothing's been what I've hoped for since I put together the Millennium Puzzle – except for one thing."

"What's that?" Téa asked.

Yugi tugged on the chain of the Millennium Puzzle absently. "Friends. Ever since I put this together I keep meeting incredible people. You, Joey, Tristan, Mai, Duke, Yori especially, even Kaiba and Mokuba. Things that keep happening to us aren't pleasant, that's for sure. But, they've brought us together, and I_ am_ grateful for that."

Téa seemed to think for a minute, but then a smile slowly spread across her face. "I can't disagree with that. I don't know where I'd be today if our group hadn't pulled together."

"Me either," Yugi said seriously. "I know for sure I wouldn't be as happy."

"I wonder if any of us would be . . . ." she said thoughtfully.

". . . Kaiba'd probably be the same."

She laughed. "Oh, yeah. He's the exception."

"In fact he might be a little happier if he'd never met us."

She laughed again, shaking her head. "He'd still be undefeated, but that might mean he wouldn't have a reason for dueling. I think meeting us was good for him."

"Just not for his ego," Yugi said, grinning.

"Definitely not, definitely not."

"So, want to actually get breakfast now?"

"You bet." She paused and ducked her head, tucking her dark brown hair behind an ear. "And, thank you."

Yugi shifted, slightly embarrassed. "There's really no reason to thank me . . . but you're welcome."

She smiled and they headed towards the meeting room.

* * *

"I got you breakfast, Sis. Wake up!"

Mmmm, food. That sounded good. But was it worth it to open her eyes? The peaceful, quiet darkness was so nice . . . .

Not to mention, if she ate she'd have to release Yami's hand.

"Come on, I went through all the trouble to get it and you're just gonna let it get cold?"

Curse that puppy-dog tone.

"Whining is the root of all evil," she murmured, keeping her eyes closed.

"I was always under the impression that power is the root of all evil," Yami's voice said thoughtfully.

"Power is the desire of whiny people," she replied, fighting back a smile as she slowly opened her eyes to look at him.

"Ah," he said simply. "That makes sense."

"Geez, I get her breakfast and she calls me evil." Yugi sniffed dramatically. Yori avoided looking at him because she knew that if she did, she would immediately offer an apology. She was positive he was wearing the puppy-dog look to match the tone.

"What'd you get?" she asked, sitting up slowly. Every part of her ached and she bit her tongue to keep from groaning. No reason to worry Yami and Yugi; she knew the pains would fade after she started moving around.

Yami suddenly blushed and pulled his hand away, rubbing the back of his neck. Yori raised an eyebrow and finally looked at her brother. He gave her a mysterious smile.

"Fried eggs on toast."

"My favorite," she said, smiling slightly.

"I had an idea," he said, pointing to a plate on the table.

She frowned slightly and noticed Yami's blush get darker. She decided not to ask, sliding off the bed instead.

"Aren't you eating?" she asked Yugi as he moved aside so she could sit in the chair.

He shook his head. "I ate with Téa already."

"Okay." Yori hid a smile, forcing herself not to pause as she reached for her fork. Better not to let Yugi know she was kind of hoping the matchmaker would find his own match soon.

"You eat toast with a fork? Seriously?" Yugi said, hopping on the bed next to Yami. "Téa said I should get one just in case but I didn't think you would really use it."

Yori wrinkled her nose. "The toast would be fine if it was plain but I can't eat eggs with my fingers. It just doesn't work."

"True," he agreed. "Like the taste?"

She gave him a thumbs-up since her mouth was full. Yami chuckled.

Suddenly, the floor beneath them dipped. Yugi slipped off the bed, landing heavily on the floor with a cry of surprise. Yori gripped the arms of the chair, dropping her fork.

"That was really weird," she said slowly.

Yami got to his feet, looking uneasy. "Nothing that's been happening on this blimp lately has been natural. I feel we should find out for sure."

Yugi rubbed the back of his head, frowning. "Maybe the pilot just dozed off for a minute . . . ."

Yori shook her head immediately. "I was in the control room last night and there is no pilot. The computer runs everything."

"Computer malfunction then?" he suggested.

Yori looked at Yami. Even the way he was standing spoke of unease. Setting her jaw, Yori climbed to her feet and grabbed her cape.

"Let's check with Kaiba, just in case," she said.

Yami shot her a grateful smile but before she could respond, the floor jerked again.

"Okay, you've convinced me!" Yugi said, scrambling to his feet.

Yori smiled grimly and led the way out of the room. The floor continued to buck randomly and she winced each time as she was forced to catch herself, jarring her ribs. On one severe jerk, she stumbled and almost rammed into the wall, but Yami caught her gently before she could. They blinked at each other before turning bright crimson at the same time.

Yami released her elbow and cleared his throat, attempting to say something for a few moments before giving up and motioning her forward again. She ducked her head and did as prompted, trying to ignore the all-too-obvious grin on her brother's face and the love song he was humming loudly.

A door on their right burst open just before they reached it, spilling Tristan, Duke, Serenity, and Joey into the hallway.

"Yug! Yor!" Joey said as soon as he saw them. "Know what's goin' on?"

"That's what we're finding out," Yori replied, ducking around them and motioning for them to follow as well.

"Hey, did you see that?!" Yugi whispered to her, his eyes bright with obvious excitement.

She frowned slightly. "See what?"

"Tristan had an arm around Serenity!"

She blinked and then shook her head. "I think you're just in a let's-see-love-everywhere mood."

"No no no, he definitely had an arm around her shoulders!" Yugi said, bouncing once in his excitement.

Yori came to a stop in front of Kaiba's door and hissed quickly, "Better see more evidence than that before you start trying to pair them up. The floor's jumping; he probably just stopped her from falling!"

Yugi grinned. "Even better!"

Yori shook her head and rapped the back of her knuckles against the door. Just to make sure he'd answer, she said, "Kai, it's Yori!"

Téa came running up to join their group just as the door slid open. It was Mokuba standing in the doorway instead of his brother, and he blinked at the assembly but stepped aside so they could enter.

"Seto's in the control room," he said.

"Does he know what's going on?" Yugi asked quickly.

Mokuba shook his head, looking nervous. "We're being pulled off course for some reason – that's the jerking – but the computer's acting totally normal. I was just about to go help him."

"Mind if we come?" Yori asked.

"I don't, but Seto might."

"Rich-boy can just live with it then," Joey said hotly, "'cause I ain't leaving 'til I know what's goin' on."

Mokuba frowned, but still led the way to the control room.

Kaiba barely spared them a glance when they entered – proving how distracted he was.

"It's no good, Mr. Kaiba," one of the personnel seated at a set of controls said, despair in his voice. "The autopilot isn't responding."

"Override it then," Kaiba snarled, typing furiously on one of the many keyboards.

"Where do you want me, Seto?" Mokuba asked.

"Search the memory; find out where and when the autopilot got the command to change courses," Kaiba said, shutting down the set of controls he was working on entirely and switching to a new one.

"I'm on it!"

Mokuba jumped into one of the seats and the screen in front of him switched on. He began typing immediately. Yori was amaze; she knew a little about computers but Kaiba's command would have left her completely stumped. Mokuba was definitely following in his brother's footsteps.

"So what the heck is going on?" Joey demanded, apparently unable to hold back any longer.

"If I knew that, I wouldn't be here would I, Mutt?" Kaiba snapped. "Speaking of which, what are you doing here?"

"Took him long enough," Duke muttered.

"He's trying to figure out what the heck is wrong with this thing and you're complaining that he didn't respond to us sooner?" Téa hissed.

"What, you want me to thank him for not knowing what his own computer is doing?" Duke responded heatedly.

"We're just here because we were worried," Yori said to Kaiba, stepping on Duke's foot with her heel as she spoke. He yelped but wisely decided not to say anything.

Kaiba didn't even smirk, which worried Yori in itself. What he said was even worse. "I don't have time to argue with you. If you shut up and keep out of the way, you can stay."

Yori nodded once but he had already turned back to his work.

"This is bad," Yugi whispered. "I've never seen Kaiba like this."

Before Yori could say anything, Mokuba cried, "Seto! The command came from another computer!"

Kaiba stared at his brother, eyes wide. Then they narrowed and he snapped, "Impossible! My security system can't be infiltrated!"

"It has to have been, Mr. Kaiba," one of the men said. "We can't get the system to override the autopilot, or anything else for that matter. Someone is remotely controlling the entire network."

Kaiba slammed his fist down next to his keyboard and cursed. "Well then kick them out! This is my system and no intruder should be able to screw with it!"

"So someone else is controlling the blimp?" Serenity said, her voice shaking.

Before anyone was able to respond, the screen over Kaiba's head suddenly buzzed and changed.

The head and shoulders of a boy about Mokuba's age were now visible. He was wearing an expression eerily close to Kaiba's signature smirk and he was chuckling.

"Having computer problems, Seto?" he asked, his blue eyes dancing.

"You," Kaiba snarled, the word barely comprehensible.

"Oh no, not me," the boy said, holding up his hands. "Your system isn't worth my time. No, I had an associate of mine hack in instead."

"Why?!" Joey demanded, stepping forward.

The boy put a finger to his lips. "You wouldn't want me to ruin the surprise now, would you? I've taken the liberty of changing your course. I figured you wouldn't mind coming to pay me a little visit before you continued with your tournament finals."

Kaiba looked severely tempted to flip him off but, instead, curled his hands into fists at his sides.

"The cold shoulder? Oh that hurts me, Seto."

Yori remained silent. This boy was obviously set in what he was doing and making demands or asking questions wasn't going to do any good.

Unfortunately, a certain someone didn't quite get the message.

"Hey you shrimp, get us back on course now!" Joey shouted.

"Joey, it won't do any good," Yugi said quietly.

The boy laughed again. "Your friend is right, and my name is Noah. Remember it. If he thinks about it long enough, Seto just might be able to tell you a story about me."

"Kai, you know this kid?" Yori asked in surprise.

"No!" Kaiba said.

"He says you do," Duke said.

"Your ability to state the obvious is awe-inspiring," Kaiba growled.

"Yeah, jealous people have started wars over it a few times," Tristan muttered.

Yori saw Duke throw him a glare out of the corner of her eye but it convinced the dice fanatic to fall silent once more.

Noah laughed again, more loudly than ever. "Oh this is rich. I don't even have to throw a wrench in this machine to make it stop; you all don't get along on your own!"

"If your insane objective is breaking up some kind of friendship circle, you can leave me out of it," Kaiba said. "I have no part in the geek squad."

"Of course not, Seto," Noah purred. "You've always been a loner; I expected that. And my goals would never be as shallow as breaking up a group of friends."

"Then what are they?" Téa demanded.

"You're all so eager to spoil the surprise!" He sighed heavily. "Well, don't worry. You're coming up on my base now; soon you'll understand everything."

His words drew Yori's eyes to the windows around them and she couldn't help a small gasp.

A giant metal structure was floating in the water ahead of them. The waves that crashed against it didn't even go half-way up the sides and it stayed motionless. The deck was completely bare except for a space that looked like a landing pad.

They were headed straight for it.

* * *

_Authoress's Note: And the adventure continues right on time, hehe - hope you enjoyed! Please review!_


	2. Chapter 2: New Situation

_Chapter 2: New Situation_

Noah watched everyone's expressions change with glee. Seto was as angry as he had expected, but everyone else looked fearful.

Except for one girl. He studied her curiously. She'd barely said a word so far and the only reaction she'd had to seeing his base had been a small gasp. Now her expression was impassive. She was wearing a weird, hooded cape that currently concealed her arms as they hung at her sides. The bruise that ran along her jaw-line hinted that she'd been in a fight.

He hummed thoughtfully to himself and withdrew from Seto's screen. Switching to another one, he was greeted with a view of the control room.

"Hey!" he called, surprised. It shouldn't have been empty!

"Don't worry, Noah. I'm still here," said a girl's voice. She scooted out from under one of the control panels and pulled the set of gloves she was wearing off. "One of the wires got nicked somehow; I was seeing if it could hold out or not."

"I see."

She stood up and tucked her dark red hair behind an ear. "Did you need something?"

"Yes. You've studied all the passengers of Seto's blimp, right?" he said.

She nodded slowly, her expression gaining a 'duh' aspect. "Just like you told me to."

He stiffened. "Well, you slack off so much that I wasn't sure."

"Of course," she agreed pleasantly, her eyes telling a completely different answer.

Deciding to ignore it, Noah continued. "Tell me about one of the girls. She had black and red hair with –"

"Yori Moto," she said before he could finish. "Records show that she's the daughter of Haru Yoshida and Jasyn Moto, both deceased for almost nine years now. On Jasyn's side, the record can be tracked back quite a few generations, given a few name changes, but on Haru's side it stops."

"Fascinating, but I'm not dealing with her parents," Noah snapped. "I'm dealing with her."

She shrugged. "She's wanted by the police."

Now _that_ was interesting. "For what?"

"Running away from an orphanage at age fourteen. She was also caught in a gang fight in a district of Tokyo, but she escaped the police before they could do much."

"So she's a fighter," Noah purred. "This should be fun."

She didn't reply. Instead, she pointed at another screen, which showed the blimp setting down gently in Noah's hanger.

"Oops." He smiled. "I guess I'd better tell them what to do now."

* * *

Noah came back on screen just as they landed and told them to get off the craft. Yugi bit his lip, worried about what this guy had planned.

"Everyone, stay here," Kaiba growled, turning away from the screen. "I'll handle this on my own."

"What's he thinking?" Yugi whispered in dismay.

"It's his pride," his sister said quietly. "He feels like it's his fault we're in this mess, which makes it his responsibility to get us out." She gave him a tight smile. "I'd be doing the same thing."

"And I wouldn't let you do it either," Yugi said fiercely. Then he raised his voice and said, "Kaiba, I'm coming with you."

Yori smiled at him warmly while Kaiba gave him a surprised look.

"Better accept his offer, Seto," Noah said. "Everyone else is coming too."

"They are not," Kaiba snapped.

Noah raised his eyebrows. "Oh really?"

He looked off to the side and Yugi followed his gaze automatically. He started in shock when he saw sections of the wall open to reveal rows of weapons pointed right at them.

"How much do you all value your lives?" Noah asked smugly.

"That dirty little snake," Joey said through gritted teeth.

"Well," Duke said slowly, "looks like we are coming with you after all."

Kaiba was practically radiating fury as he turned and threw the door open, disappearing into the hall beyond.

"Better follow him, little ducklings," Noah taunted. "You wouldn't want to get shot now would you?"

"It'd be interesting to add to my list of experiences," Yori said, brushing her bangs out of her eyes and looking at the rows of guns.

"Yori!" several people gasped – Yami and Yugi being the loudest.

She smiled. "You're all so gullible. Come on."

With that, she started after Kaiba. Everyone hesitated a moment before following her.

Yugi jogged to catch up, doing his best to glare at her when he had. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and gave him a winning smile.

"Not funny, Sis," he muttered. "That was so not funny."

"I know, but seeing you glare is."

He bit his lip, trying to force the glare to remain there and not turn into the small smile that was fighting its way out.

"Come on," she said, throwing an arm around his shoulders and grinning. "You know you love me, and you know there's no way I'm stupid enough to get myself shot."

Yugi shot a glance at Yami, saw him shaking his head helplessly and muttering to himself, and couldn't keep it up any more. He sighed and let himself smile.

"You're so mean," he said.

"Only repaying the favor," she said meaningfully.

His smile turned sheepish.

"You two are in an awfully good mood," Duke said, his tone a little aggravated.

"And you've been in an awfully bad one all morning," Yori said. "What's spilling your sauce?"

Yugi stifled a laugh at her choice of expressions, and at the look Duke gave her. "She means 'what's wrong'."

"What a horribly boring way to put it," Yori said, wincing.

Téa laughed. Duke merely fell silent.

"You know, I really am curious," Yami said, floating next to them with a thoughtful expression. "Duke usually isn't like this."

Yugi had to remind himself that only he and Yori could hear the Pharaoh so that he didn't respond out loud.

Before he said anything though, Yori suddenly laughed, and then put a hand to her ribs, cutting herself off. Her smile stayed though.

"What's funny?" Yami asked, cocking his head.

'_Just you. It surprised me to see you floating next to us in a sitting position.'_

Yugi was a little surprised that Yori could include him in mental communication, but he supposed it had something to do with his connection to the puzzle.

He turned to look at Yami and grinned as the Pharaoh blinked and looked down at himself. He was indeed in the normal position he sat in – legs crossed at the knee and arms folded. A light blush crossed his face and he straightened up, walking like normal.

"I forget about that sometimes," Yami mumbled, the tips of his ears going red.

No one seemed to care that Yori had laughed spontaneously, or, if they did, they were too distracted by the fact that they were now at the exit of the blimp. As soon as they stepped off, Noah would have all the control.

Kaiba stood at the bottom of the stairs, motionless. As they started down the steps towards him, he turned half-way to look over his shoulder.

"I don't want you geeks interfering," he said, his tone deadly. "This brat is mine."

"Hey, whatever issue this kid has with you, we're part of it now too," Tristan said. "If we have to do something, we will."

Mokuba darted through them to stand at his brother's side. Kaiba remained silent, and his look said the wisest course of action would be for everyone else to do the same.

"Mr. Kaiba!"

They turned at the shout to see three guards standing at the entrance to the blimp, behind their group.

"Well, it makes me feel better if we have guards along," Téa said with a sigh.

Even as she said the words, Noah's voice echoed through the hanger.

"You three buffoons can stay right where you are. Take one more step and I'll send a bullet through your hearts."

It wasn't worth testing, so the guards grudgingly stayed put. Kaiba turned away from the blimp and started walking towards an open door in the wall of the hanger. Everyone followed him wordlessly.

The door led to a long, dimly lit hallway. The walls were smooth sheets of metal, as were the floor and ceiling.

'_Gives you an eerie feeling, doesn't it?'_ Yugi said to both Yami and Yori mentally.

'_The little creep probably designed it with that in mind,'_ Yori replied.

Yami nodded in agreement.

Their footsteps echoed faintly in the hall and Yugi couldn't help reaching out a hand to run his fingers along the wall as they walked. The sheet metal was cold to the touch and it felt like running his hand through water.

Yori saw what he was doing and raised an eyebrow. _'Feel like anything?'_

'_Crazy as it sounds, it feels like water,'_ he replied, unwilling to let his hand fall.

'_Doesn't sound crazy,'_ she said, tugging at the clasp of her cape so it wasn't right against her throat. _'There was a hall like this in a building I broke into once. I did the same thing.'_

"What did you break into a building for?" Yami asked, sounding startled.

She looked sheepish. _'Long story. Basically I was getting back at a gang ring-leader. He worked at a huge company in Tokyo, kind of like Kaiba Corp. It was right before I left the city.'_

'_What'd he do that made you angry?'_ Yugi asked curiously.

Ahead of them, a light was growing; the hallway was coming to its end. Yori glanced at it and then looked back at him.

'_He called the cops on me,'_ she said simply. _'Three of his guys jumped me and while I was fighting them off, he made his call and ditched. The police caught me right before I beat the last guy.'_

"You got arrested?!"

Yori smiled at Yami. _'Don't worry; I didn't hang around. Although, that's one more reason the police want me.'_

Yugi shook his head in wonder. _'Did they ever pin the break-in on you?_'

'_Nope!'_

Yugi shook his head again. He wondered if Yori enjoyed thrills a little too much.

Everyone else had remained silent the entire time, but the group made exclamations as a whole when the hallway ended. The room they had stepped into was so brightly lit, it was blinding. Yugi squinted and moved his hand up to shade his eyes, trying to see his surroundings. His head throbbed for some reason and he shook it slightly, wincing.

Suddenly, a chorus of deep, throaty chuckles was heard.

"Who's there?!" Kaiba demanded.

"You should recognize us, _Mr. Kaiba_," one deep voice said, stressing Kaiba's name in a sarcastic manner.

Yugi blinked quickly, his eyes beginning to adjust. They were in a giant room and he could make out four, no, five figures standing in the center of it.

A beat later, Mokuba gasped. Kaiba took a step back, a look of disbelief on his face. Yugi frowned, wondering who the five men were.

The light was no longer unbearable and, even though Yugi didn't recognize the men, he could see them clearly. They were all dressed in business suits and wearing expressions that ranged from grim to downright hateful.

"Did you think you could get rid of us for good?" the tallest man asked, smiling humorously.

"Kai, who are these suits?"

Kaiba merely shook his head, murmuring, "Impossible . . . ."

"They're called 'The Big Five'," Mokuba said slowly. "They used to work for Seto, but he fired them after they tried to take over Kaiba Corp."

"Yes, and he trapped our minds in a virtual reality in his computer system," one of them said, hatred obvious in his voice.

"Only because that's what you tried to do to him!" Mokuba shouted.

"So these guys are virtual?" Joey said, sounding shocked.

"Yes," the same man replied. "When Noah hacked into Kaiba's system, he discovered us. Of course, since we all have a common enemy, he had his assistant upload our minds into his system so we could play this key part in his plan."

"What is this 'key part'?" Duke asked.

The man standing closest to them said, "His main goal is destroying Kaiba, of course, which is the same as ours. However, we'll also be taking four of you down with him."

"Just pulling a number out of the air are you, or is there a reason for only five out of eight?" Yori said, arching an eyebrow at them.

"Obviously because there are five of us," the same man said. "When Kaiba trapped our minds in cyber space, we lost connection to our bodies. Therefore, with the help of Noah, we set up this little game so that we can gain back what we've lost."

"Oh great, a game," Tristan muttered. "'Cause all the games we've been playing lately have turned out _so_ well."

The man chuckled. "I'm afraid you won't like this game then, because it's just like the ones you've been playing. To give you a fair chance, Noah set up something you're very familiar with."

"A duel monsters tournament," Yugi said grimly. "That's what you've got us facing, isn't it?"

"Very astute," the man said. "A duel monsters tournament with us versus all of you. The prize is possession of a body, so the five of us will be taking over the bodies of the first five of you to fall."

"Okay, I'm a girl; that's just gross," Téa said in disgust.

Yugi couldn't help a tiny smile at seeing Yami go bright red – most likely thinking of his own gender bending experience.

Kaiba suddenly started laughing. They all stared at him, wondering what could be so funny. He lowered his head as his shoulders shook.

"What are you laughing at?" one of the men snapped.

"You _fools_!" Kaiba said, raising his head again and grinning predatorily. "Your big idea for taking _me_ down is facing me in a _duel monsters tournament_?"

"He has a point," Yori agreed, her tone amused.

"_You_ are the fools," one of them growled. "We've changed all the rules; this will be like no tournament you've ever faced before."

"Oh that's rich," Kaiba said, his expression settling into his signature smirk. "I know the game inside and out; there's no way you can beat me."

"Fine. Then I suppose there's no point in delaying the start."

Joey suddenly let out a cry and Yugi spun around just in time to see his best friend disappear through a hole in the floor that had appeared below him.

"Joey!" half the group shouted in shock.

The floor opened beneath Téa a moment later and she screamed. Yugi jumped towards her but his hand only brushed hers as she fell, the floor immediately closing again. Serenity was gone next and the hole around her widened to swallow Tristan and Duke as well.

Fearfully, Yugi realized he was now separated from the remaining group. He turned, but before he could take a single step, the floor beneath Yori disappeared, widening to take Kaiba and Mokuba as well.

"SIS!" Yugi screamed, at the same moment Yami shouted her name.

But she was already gone and, immediately, the floor opened beneath him as well.

* * *

_Authoress's Note: I am sooooo sorry this is late. I've been having really bad computer problems lately. But, all fixed now, thankfully! The next chapter will be posted this Saturday I think. Hope you enjoyed!_


	3. Chapter 3: Reactions

_Chapter 3: Reactions_

Noah strode through a section of his virtual reality, the scene around him changing at his will. He waved a hand and opened his connection to the control room.

"Has everything been set up?" he asked.

The red-head seated at the computer, as usual, looked up at him. "Yeah. They're all in the virtual world."

"Excellent," he breathed. "Bring those five suits here."

She sat up straight in her chair. Then, setting her fingers to the keyboard, she started typing. A moment later, the five men stood before Noah. He smirked and cut his connection to the control room.

"Well, gentlemen, now the fun can begin," he said, folding his arms across his chest.

"Who have you chosen as the first victim, Sir?" Gansley asked, his eyes gleaming.

"I've decided to draw out Seto's destruction for as long as possible, but that doesn't mean we can't start with one of the best," he said, grinning wolfishly. "Which of you is willing to go head-to-head with Yugi Moto?"

* * *

Yami hit the ground hard, the bright light he had been falling through disappearing in an instant. He blinked, trying to clear the spots from his vision.

He was in the middle of a small clearing. Trees surrounded him on three sides and then the ground jutted out to form part of a bank on the fourth. He assumed the water that stretched beyond the land formed a small lake. It was serene and still.

But Yami had never felt more turmoil.

He cursed himself for not thinking sooner that they would all be separated. He should have warned Yugi to stay at Yori's side no matter what.

Now he had no idea where she was.

With a sigh, he looked around again. Yugi was on his back a few feet away. Yami forced himself to his feet and walked over to him, bending down to shake the boy's shoulder.

As he did, he called Yori's name out mentally.

Yugi groaned and sat up, opening his eyes slowly. Then, he shot to his feet like lightning.

"Where's Yori?" he cried.

Yami shook his head wordlessly, calling out mentally again.

His friend moaned and looked down. "I should have thought ahead."

"It wasn't your fault," Yami protested. "You had no way of knowing."

Yugi gave him a grim smile. "And yet you're beating yourself up about the same thing, aren't you?

Yami sighed and looked down. "I won't deny it."

He called her name a third time, but there was still no response. After a moment, Yugi shifted.

"She's not answering you either, is she?"

Yami took a deep breath. "It doesn't mean she's in trouble. Our communication has been cut off before. She can take care of herself; I'm sure she's fine."

Even as he said it though he knew his words were just rambling hopes meant to comfort himself even more than Yugi.

"Right," Yugi said, trying a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I guess we should just worry about ourselves for now. Where are we?"

"A lake."

Yami could have smacked himself. 'A lake' – honestly! Everyone worship the incredibly observational Pharaoh.

Yugi did manage a bit of a real smile at that. "I see. That's about all I know too."

"Somewhere in that kid's world," Yami muttered.

"It's hard to believe this is all just an illusion," Yugi said, looking out over the lake. "It sure seems real."

"Just don't try to jump in the lake. It'd be a harsh wake-up to realize that's really the floor of the room we're in."

Yugi frowned. "Or is it? I'm certain we fell through the floor. Think that was just an illusion?"

Yami paused before shaking his head. "No. We probably fell into a room below the one we were in. The one we're in now must have the virtual system."

Yugi's expression brightened. "Well, if we're all in one room then it shouldn't be too hard to find everyone else!"

A laugh echoed over the lake as he finished the last word. Yami stiffened.

"Show yourself," he growled.

A figure broke through the surface of the water, rising into the air. Yami frowned, recognizing it as a monster card called Deepsea Warrior – only this certainly wasn't a card.

"What, don't recognize me?" the monster said, the voice that of one of the men from earlier. "My name is Gansley. I'm the founder and leader of The Big Five; as well as former vice-president of Kaiba Corp."

"Don't expect sympathy from me," Yugi said flatly.

The monster sneered at him. "I don't need your sympathy; all I need is your body."

"Don't expect that either."

Yami stood rigid in place. Silent. Thinking.

"I'm afraid you'll have no choice," Gansley said. "Once I defeat you, your body will be mine for the taking. You have no idea how excited I am for a second chance at being young – although I must say that hair will have to go."

Before Yugi could respond, Yami caught his eye. Yugi raised his eyebrows questioningly. Yami took a deep breath - even though he didn't need it for mental communication.

'_Yugi,'_ he said, _'I've never run from a duel in my life, but right now that's exactly what I want you to do. __**Run**__.'_

Yugi blinked, looking like he'd just had a bucket of ice water dumped over his head.

'_What?'_ he managed.

"What's the matter?" Gansley taunted, unaware of Yami's suggestion. "No response to that?"

'_We're under no obligation to play this man's game and, frankly, the last thing I want to do right now is duel,'_ Yami said quickly. He smirked. _'Besides, this is the first duel in a long time where we haven't been told the fate of the world is riding upon it. I say we take advantage of the rare opportunity to actually turn down a duel.'_

Yugi was slowly smiling. _'You're right. Shadi might turn up at any minute if he sees the stakes aren't high enough. We'd better act first.'_

"Gone totally silent now, have we?" Gansley said, oblivious to the silent plotting taking place before him. "That's a shame. You know, stalling won't help you any; the sooner we start, the sooner it will be over for you."

'_There's just one thing,'_ Yugi added.

'_What?'_

'_Switch with me – you run faster than I do.'_

Yami smiled. _'Deal. Now let's go; we have friends to find.'_

Yugi seemed unable to help adding the impish taunt of, _'Especially __**girlfriends**__.'_

Yami was unable to prevent his blush from flaring to life. He looked away and muttered, _'Very mature.'_

'_Thank you,'_ Yugi said jokingly. Then his expression went serious and he continued, _'Okay, now get ready to run.'_

He took a small step forward, fiery eyes locked on Gansley. Yami blinked, wondering what he was doing.

"Alright Pal," Yugi said, his tone as serious as his face. "If you think you can take my body, you have another thing coming. You . . . ." He suddenly trailed off and his eyes were drawn to a spot over Gansley's shoulder, widening in a look of shock.

Gansley blinked and turned to look behind him, saying, "What is it?"

'_NOW!' _Yugi shouted mentally.

Instantly, Yami found himself standing in physical form where Yugi had been a moment ago. It took him less than a second to adjust and then he spun on his heel and took off running.

* * *

Mokuba groaned, slowly blinking his eyes open. Then, they widened in shock.

He was on a path in some kind of forest, but how did that happen? The last thing he remembered was seeing the Big Five again. They'd been in a metal room though, what the heck was the forest?!

Okay, calm down, he thought. The Big Five had said they wanted revenge on Seto. Okay, what else? Dueling for bodies. Why did they need bodies again? Something about losing contact with theirs . . .

. . . after being trapped in a virtual world. Oh.

"I'm sick of crazy people with technology," he muttered, pulling his arms under his chest so he could push himself to his knees. "Seto should be the only one with technology."

"I agree," someone behind him said.

Mokuba almost jumped out of his skin. He tried to turn – forgetting he was on his knees instead of his feet – and wound up falling sideways in the dirt.

Then he laughed in relief as he saw what had startled him. His brother rolled his eyes at him, shaking his head slightly.

"Geez, Seto, you scared me," Mokuba said, smiling sheepishly.

"I noticed," Seto said, his tone amused. He held a hand out and Mokuba took it gratefully, letting his brother pull him to his feet. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Mokuba assured him. "What about you?"

"Well, I've been in better moods."

"What do you think that creep wants?" Mokuba said, frowning.

"I don't care," Seto said flatly. "He's just like all the other idiots out there who want whatever might be mine – and I'll take him down just like all the others."

Mokuba bit the inside of his cheek, thinking of all the people who were always pulling his older brother into situations like this. It wasn't fair.

But at least he didn't have to face it on his own. Mokuba took a deep breath and let his normal smile come back. He shoved his hands in his pockets and said, "So, where to now?"

As if on cue, they suddenly heard a scream. Mokuba stumbled in shock.

"Seto," he gasped, "that sounded like –"

"Come on."

The words had barely left his brother's mouth before Seto was running in the direction the sound had come from. Mokuba was behind him a beat later.

Seto rounded the first bend in the path and came to an instant stop. Mokuba just barely ducked aside in time – stumbling a little – so that he didn't run into him. Then he stopped as well, blinking.

Yori was standing in front of them, backed up against the trunk of a tree. Something had obviously spooked her because her skin was white as a sheet.

"What's wrong Yori?!" Mokuba said in alarm.

"This place can't be real," she said breathlessly.

"It's a virtual world, genius," Seto said.

"NO!" she snapped, sharper than Mokuba had ever heard her. "I know that! Even by virtual standards this place. Can. Not. Be. Real!"

Seto had taken a step back and now he asked slowly, as if dealing with a wild animal, "Why not?"

"It didn't hurt when I fell," she said. Before they could even form a question, she jammed the heel of her hand into the side of her ribs. Even from this distance, Mokuba could tell she'd done it hard and he flinched in spite of himself.

But she didn't.

Mokuba blinked.

"My ribs aren't broken," she said. "All my bruises and cuts are gone. Virtual worlds don't heal – nothing causes this."

* * *

"I can't believe he fell for that!" Yugi crowed, staying beside Yami without effort in spirit form. He was grinning from ear to ear.

His friend smiled at him, looking amused. _'That was a wonderful distraction.'_

"YES! Eat that almighty Big Five!" Yugi said, punching a fist into the air.

Behind them, they heard Gansley give a cry of rage, making Yugi laugh.

Yami ducked into the trees, pushing his pace even faster. _'So, any idea where we should go?'_

"Um . . . I guess it doesn't really matter as long as we lose him and find everyone else."

'_I suppose not. Left?'_

"Sure!"

Yami dodged left through a pair of trees without breaking stride.

Then, still behind them, they heard Gansley scream one word.

_"NOAH!"_

* * *

Noah looked up as he heard his name.

"Gansley?" he said, surprised.

"What's the matter with him?"

He looked back into the control room at his associate. She had her head cocked to the side, the question still hanging in the air.

"Who knows with that fool," Noah said. "I thought he was supposed to be dueling Yugi."

"You wanna pull up a window?"

"I was just about to," he said irritably. He waved a hand, opening a view of the leader of the Big Five.

"What is it?" Noah asked, his tone icy.

"That fool just ran away!"

Noah paused, wondering if he had heard correctly. "The King of Games . . . ran away from a duel?"

He saw the girl sit up straighter out of the corner of his eye. "Actually _ran_ away?"

"_Yes!"_ Gansley shrieked.

"Well what on Earth do you want me to do about it?" Noah asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Block his escape! Make him duel me!"

"Heaven's sake man, stop screaming," Noah said, putting a hand to his ear pointedly. "It's your duel. If you want a body, then fight for it. I don't have the patience to baby-sit."

A look of hatred crossed Gansley's face but Noah ignored it, closing the window. What kind of man let the duel of his life get away from him anyway?

He heard a conspicuous cough and he looked into the control room again, raising an eyebrow.

"What's so funny?"

The red-head shook her head, tucking her hair behind an ear. "It's just . . . wow. I wish I could have seen the King of Games high-tail it away from a duel. That would have made my day."

* * *

_Authoress's Note: Here's the chapter the sneak peek came from! Hehe. Hope you enjoyed!_


	4. Chapter 4: Here We Go

_Chapter 4: Here We Go_

Yori let her knees buckle, sliding down the trunk of the tree to land on the ground. She ran her hands over her face and into her hair, sighing deeply.

"I've had just about as many surprises, unexplainable events, and creepy situations as I can handle," she groaned.

"I have no clue what to say," Kaiba said, looking troubled. "You're right."

At least he didn't think she was crazy – although Yori was considering the possibility herself. The only other logical thing she could think of was magic (heaven knew enough of _that_ had been coming up lately), but she couldn't voice that thought around Kaiba. Then he really _would_ think she was insane.

The person she really wanted to talk to was Yami. She couldn't believe how _stupid_ she had been, letting herself get separated from him and Yugi. On top of that, something was wrong with her mental communication so she was completely cut off from them.

"Well, at least your ribs won't hurt you now," Mokuba said, trying a hesitant smile.

Yori brought her hands back into her lap. "That is a relief – although it would be a much bigger one if I could just explain it."

"Everything has a reason," Kaiba said confidently. "We just have to find that brat Noah and drag the truth out of him."

His eyes betrayed him. Yori knew that facing something seemingly unexplainable spooked him just as much as it did her. But she smirked at him, deciding not to clue him in that she knew.

"That's a goal I can happily focus on," she said.

"Join the club then."

It took her a moment to realize that he had meant it as more than just a saying. She raised an eyebrow.

"Mr. Sunshine wouldn't mind having an annoying tag-a-long?"

Mokuba giggled. Kaiba pointed over his shoulder at his younger brother.

"I've already got one. Just stay out of my way and don't mention any Egyptian crap."

"Seto, that hurts," Mokuba whined, sticking his lip out in a dramatic pout.

Yori found herself smiling. "Deal, as long as you do the same."

He smirked slightly. Mokuba jumped forward to offer Yori a hand and she took it gratefully, letting him help her to her feet.

"Any idea where to go?" she asked.

"I figure we're on a path for a reason," Kaiba said, folding his arms. "Since that reason belongs to Noah, however, I thought we'd head away from it."

"Ingenious rebellion, Kai."

"Hmm."

She wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean so she took it as bypassing her teasing because he didn't have a comeback.

"Well, lead the way then," she said, sliding her hands into her pockets. "Let's see what this kid's got."

* * *

Noah scowled, sitting back in his chair and strumming his fingers on the arm.

Yori Moto. That girl was getting on his nerves. What was so special about her that made Seto actually pay attention to her? She wasn't a finalist in his tournament – and he didn't give a care about anyone who was anyway.

He closed the window he had been watching the Kaiba brothers through in disgust. His fingers moved faster, beating out a rhythm that matched his racing thoughts.

In order for his plan to have the best results possible, he had to play with Seto's emotions. He had devised the perfect ways to do that but Mokuba was the only person he had planned on Seto being around. He didn't know much about this Yori but Seto obviously had a bit of respect or tolerance for her. That could screw everything up.

He paused suddenly. Seto obviously had a bit of respect for her.

Slowly, he ran through what he'd seen and what he had planned again. A wolfish smile worked its way across his face as something became clear.

True, she could screw everything up. But, she could also make things even better.

He stopped the movement of his fingers, flicking them through the air instead. Another window opened. His voice was full of excitement as he barked, "Gansley! Change of plans!"

His business associate frowned at him, stopping his pursuit of Yugi Moto.

"What is it Noah?" he asked, sounding slightly aggravated.

"Forget Yugi. I have an even more interesting duelist for you to face," Noah purred. "I want you to prepare for a duel with his sister."

Gansley's eyes widened and Noah could see the spark of excitement ignite in his mind. He smirked and almost closed the window, but then paused.

"Also," he added, "see if she has any major weaknesses. If she does, I want you to exploit every single one of them even if it means changing your entire dueling style and strategies. Get Krisalyn to tell you everything she knows."

* * *

Téa gave a small yelp as her sandal caught on another jagged rock. She bit her lip and kept going, trying to ignore the pain.

Note to self: more sneakers, less sandals. She edged around another jutting obstacle and sighed.

She was sick and tired of walking through the rock canyon she had somehow been dropped in. She'd tried calling everyone's names but had finally given up. She was all alone in some crazy kid's idea of a game.

"Okay, I give up," she called, her voice echoing in the canyon. "I can't read minds so you'd better tell me whatever you want me to do."

No one answered her and she sighed again. Of course. Why would anyone answer? Noah was probably fine with the idea of her wandering through an endless canyon for the rest of her life. After all, he and the Big Five wanted duelists and while Téa was many things, that wasn't on the list.

I never will understand that, she thought idly. Whenever the bad guys want to duel for something, they always pick the strongest opponents. Then they wind up losing. If they'd just pick someone who couldn't duel their way out of a paper bag then they might win once in a while.

She gave a short laugh, putting a hand to her forehead. The heat is affecting me, she thought. I don't really want the bad guys to win – and I definitely don't want to duel. I'll leave that to Joey and Yugi.

Although she had to admit it would be nice to understand why they loved the game so much. She had never gotten up the courage to ask Yugi.

A growl echoed through the canyon.

Téa froze instantly, goosebumps rising along her skin. "W-who's there?"

Another growl sounded, more and more joining in. Whatever was out there, it wasn't alone.

Téa turned her head slowly, freezing in fear when she found the source of the sounds.

A pack of hideous cyclop monsters was salivating down at her from a rock ledge. Her throat froze; she couldn't move. One of the monsters opened its gaping mouth, grinning at her and revealing rows of sharp yellow teeth. He hurled an ax at her.

That was when her self-preservation instincts kicked in. She jerked her head sideways and the ax whistled past her ear, hitting one of the jagged rocks behind her. A rock chip from the impact cut across her cheek and she gasped.

Then the monsters began jumping down towards her. She screamed and spun around, taking off in the opposite direction. One of her feet slipped when she hit loose gravel and she went down hard on one knee, tearing her stocking. She scrambled to her feet again instantly and continued.

But she wasn't fast enough. One of the monsters leaped in front of her, its yellow eye gleaming. She gaped at it soundlessly and paused in her escape for a moment.

She saw the club rise out of the corner of her eye but there was nothing she could do. It came down and pain exploded in her head.

Then her vision went black.

* * *

Yami finally came to a stop, gasping for breath. He doubled over and put his hands on his knees, taking deep breaths.

"I forgot . . . I could run out of breath . . . in this form," he panted, wiping the sweat that had beaded on his forehead off with the back of his hand.

"Sorry," Yugi said sheepishly. "That must be a hard adjustment to get used to."

Actually, it would be really nice normally, Yami thought sadly. As limiting as a physical body might be, he always savored the chances he had to be in one. It was nice to be a part of some world instead of alone in the Millennium Puzzle all the time. But he didn't tell Yugi. It would only make his friend feel guilty and he didn't want that.

"Want me to take over for a while?" Yugi offered.

"I would appreciate that. Thank you."

Yugi nodded and they changed places again. Yugi immediately started jogging and Yami took a deep breath, looking ahead of them.

They were still in the forest, but they seemed to have lost Gansley. Either that or he was waiting silently for an opportunity.

"Do you think Yori's dueling someone in the Big Five?" Yugi asked worriedly, distracting him.

"I don't know," Yami said honestly. "I don't think so though."

"Why not?"

"I think Noah will want to save a duel with Kaiba until the very end of whatever he's plotting and since she's with him . . . ."

"Oh. Gotcha. Well, that's definitely a relief."

Yugi stumbled when he came to a gnarled tree root and he stuck his tongue out at it over his shoulder. Yami smiled slightly. Then, he noticed something ahead of them.

"Yugi, hold on."

"What?" Then he spotted it too and stopped. "Oh. What's that doing here?"

It was indeed a fish out of water. It was a door standing among the trees. No walls with it; just a single wooden door.

After a moment of staring at it silently, Yugi said, "Where do you think it goes?"

"In this world, anything is possible. Perhaps we should ignore it and just continue."

Yugi frowned. "I don't know. We haven't really been getting anywhere . . . and this thing is so odd it _has_ to have some purpose."

Yami stared at it, frowning as well. Yugi had a point.

"I suppose," he said slowly, "it's worth a try . . . ."

That was all the encouragement Yugi needed and he walked up to the door, pulling it open. Beyond the doorframe was just inky blackness, nothing visible.

"Well, here goes nothing." Yugi took a tentative step forward, testing inside the door.

Whatever floor was there held and the boy gave Yami a determined smile before starting to run again. Yami followed him silently, the door swinging closed behind him.

* * *

"Stupid girl! What are you doing dancing when you should be helping us destroy Kaiba and those other fools?!"

Krisalyn stumbled as the sharp voice cut into her peaceful mood. She crossed the room and paused her music, her face falling into the blank mask she wore whenever dealing with her job.

"What do you want, Gansley?" she said.

"Information on Yori Moto," he said stiffly. "I want to know all her weaknesses and strategies."

Krisalyn kept a frown off her face but her eyes darkened. "Why?"

"To beat her of course, you fool!"

"Yugi Moto certainly put you in a short temper," she said mildly. Then she added, "I thought all of our quarrels were with Seto Kaiba, not his associates."

Gansley smirked. "What better way to destroy Kaiba than by taking what's dear to him? Just as he did to us."

Krisalyn remained silent, tucking her dark red hair behind an ear.

"Well, tell me what information you have."

Krisalyn sat in the computer chair, crossing her legs and folding her arms. "I've already taken Yori Moto's biggest strength from her. You have the upper hand in the duel."

That seemed to surprise him. "What did you take?"

"It doesn't concern you," she said evenly. "Since she no longer has it, you won't have to worry about it."

He gave her an irritated look. "What is her biggest weakness?"

Krisalyn considered him for a moment and then decided against speaking. This only served to irritate him farther.

"Need I remind you," he hissed. "Your brother has a lot invested in this. If he finds out you withheld information that could have destroyed Kaiba, do you think he will be proud to call you his sister anymore?"

Krisalyn's fingers tightened around her arms, the only outward sign she showed of how much his words had hit their mark. Everyone knew how much her brother's opinion meant to her. It was the only reason she was there.

However, she was under no obligation to tell him anything flat out unless her actual employer commanded it.

"Fire befriends ice, melting what few else can," she said slowly, inferring a little since she didn't personally know either Yori or Seto Kaiba. "In that action, fire proves that it and ice are not enemies, but more similar than anyone could guess – and each is its own worst enemy in two different ways."

Gansley blinked at her. Then he said angrily, "What on earth is that supposed to mean?"

"It's called a deep thought. I know you can't possibly understand because you never have any."

Oops. Had that been out loud? Oh well.

His face contorted and he snarled a threat she didn't bother to try to understand. Unfortunately, his earlier words were still ringing in her ears. He was right. If she didn't help in every way she could, she would be risking her relationship with her brother.

Taking a deep breath to soothe her nerves, she said, "What I just told you can also be called a metaphor. You worked around Kaiba for years, answer the question 'what color are his eyes?' and you can figure out what he stands for in the metaphor. If you don't know what a metaphor is, pull up a digital dictionary."

He cussed at her. "I know what a metaphor is!"

"What color are Kaiba's eyes?"

"Blue!"

"What's Yori's weakness?"

"You haven't told me you little –"

She sighed, blocking out whatever insult he threw at her. It wasn't worth it to work with these corporate blockheads. She had thought her metaphor was rather good, really.

"Yori is fire, Kaiba is ice. If you can't figure out the rest on your own then I'm going to make sure you stay in cyber space for eternity myself."

She closed the window, leaving him to stew in his rage. Then she opened a new window on the screen that showed the Kaiba brothers and Yori. They were on the brink of discovering the part of Noah's world he was most proud of. With a small sigh, she leaned forward to watch the screen, resting her chin on her palms.

There were no records of Yori actually being afraid of fire but Krisalyn had been able to track down a few stories that allowed her to infer it. The orphanage Yori had lived at reported that when she had first arrived she had avoided heat like the plague. She wouldn't eat anything hot and she never wore long sleeves or used blankets at night. Anything actually lit would cause her to stay as far away from it as possible. It wasn't much of a jump from there to figure it out.

Krisalyn gave a small inner groan and stood up. She had just ratted out the biggest weakness of someone she had no grudge against, the least she could do was try to give her a heads up.

She prepared to enter the virtual world.

* * *

_Authoress's Note: 'Kay, I'm posting this one early because I have a full schedule this weekend and don't think I'll have time. Sorry it was so choppy; the next chapter will be better, I promise. Although it means that, since there are less sections, you'll have to wait longer to find out what happens with certain characters. Pros and cons, sorry! Oh and I'd like to hear what you thought about the new character we've now been introduced to. Feedback is **much** appreciated! The next update will be on **April 25th**._


	5. Chapter 5: To Lie or Not To Lie

_Chapter 5: To Lie or Not To Lie_

Of all the people to get stuck with. It_ had_ to be Tristan.

"Okay, just stop it already. You're not getting anywhere."

Tristan glared at him. "Well I don't see you coming up with any brilliant ideas, dice boy."

Duke scowled back. "Anything's a better idea than hacking at the wall with an ax. This place is _virtual_. You can't break what isn't really there."

"Look, in my book if it's real enough to touch then it's real enough to break."

Duke was ready to tear his hair out. The guy knew _nothing_ about technology!

Although, it had him worried that at least part of what Tristan had said was true. Virtual technology was meant to trick your _eyes_. He'd never dealt with any – or heard of any for that matter – that was substantial enough to touch. Something was definitely off about Noah and his whole twisted scheme.

Tristan had started swinging at the wall again. Duke sighed in aggravation.

"I'm telling you, you're just wasting your time," he said, folding his arms.

"I am getting to Serenity, and if that means spending all day smashing through a wall then so be it," Tristan growled.

Duke stiffened. That was the biggest reason he didn't want to be around Tristan.

Truth be told, Duke wasn't horribly into girls. Sure, he'd flirt with them and humor them with a date or two to be polite, but it was never anything really serious. He had a business to run and that meant creating new designs, attending meetings, managing workers, thinking of ways to promote, and countless other things. On top of all that, he didn't even live in Japan and he was still trying to graduate high school. He didn't have the time or attention to spare for a girlfriend.

It had never really bothered him since he'd never met a girl he wanted to go on more than one date with – two at the most. All the girls he met had either hung on him or hated his attitude. The hating he could handle but it didn't really make for a good relationship starter. The hanging . . . . He grimaced at the thought. That was just uncomfortable, even if he had to pretend otherwise for public face.

But Serenity Wheeler didn't do either. She was different. He didn't know if that was the only reason he liked her, but he knew it was worth finding out. She had her downfalls for sure, but she also had her good points.

The only problem was Tristan.

It was no secret at all – at least to Duke's eyes – that Tristan was after Serenity's attention too. He would never come right out and say it, but he didn't need to. His actions said it all.

And that was what had put Duke in a foul mood all day. He'd finally found a girl he wanted to get to know, and he already had a rival for it. Life just loved to have its little laughs.

"HA!"

Duke blinked, shaking himself out of his thoughts. Tristan was grinning like a smug idiot and pointing at the wall.

Ax marks were gouged into the wood.

Duke's eyes widened; he let his arms fall to his sides. It wasn't that the marks were incredible impressive, it was just the fact that they were _there_.

Something was definitely wrong with this virtual world.

"Well don't stand there gaping like an idiot," Tristan said. "Grab an ax!"

"This is nuts," Duke muttered. Nevertheless, he walked down the hall a pace or two and worked an ax out of the grip of a suit of armor.

He and Tristan had been dropped in the hall when their group got separated. At first, they had tried following the hall, but it had never seemed to end. That was when Tristan had decided to 'make an exit'. Ax versus wall. Duke shook his head. They were going to be at it a long time.

He was right. They kept hacking at the wall for _hours_, taking short breaks every ten minutes.

"What the heck is this thing made of, solid concrete painted like wood?!" Tristan panted, wrenching his ax free so that he could swing again.

Duke didn't answer. His mood had only gotten worse as he worked and he was afraid he'd say something he'd regret after the wall finally broke and he regained his sanity. No, the best course of action was to grit his teeth and bear it.

Their work did eventually pay off, although it definitely took its time. When they had a decent break in the wall, they kicked, rammed, and hacked the rest of their way through like wild animals.

"Freedom!" Duke cried as soon as he broke into fresh air. A minute more in that cursed hallway and he was afraid he would have started gnawing on the wall just to get the freaking thing to give out.

"Yes!" Tristan agreed, chucking the ax away with a gleeful expression.

Duke wiped the sweat off his forehead and leaned against the stone wall with a deep sigh. Thank heaven they were out of –

Hold on.

He looked down at his elbow. Resting on stone. Not just stone, a wall. Resting on a wall.

"_AAAH!_" he screamed, jumping backwards.

Now that he looked, three perfectly-whole stone walls surrounded him. Three _new_ walls.

"I'm gonna kill you!" he snarled, jumping at Tristan.

"Me? What'd I do?!" Tristan cried, diving out of the way.

"Let's just break though the wall, Duke; it won't be hard!" Duke mocked, grinning insanely. "Only _hours_ of work just to run into three new _even_ _**harder**_ _**WALLS**_!"

"C-calm down, man," Tristan said nervously, backing up. "They're only chest-high; we can just jump over them. No axes needed! Just let me see how far the drop is."

"Oh no. I'm _throwing_ you over to see how far the drop is!"

"Someone help!" Tristan yelled, dodging just in time as Duke tried to grab him.

"Hold still you coward!"

Then a high-pitched scream sliced through the air around them and they both stumbled, stopping their fight.

"What was that?" Tristan asked hesitantly.

The scream sounded again and they both turned to look in the direction it was coming from. Somewhere over the wall. They both walked forward so they could lean over it and look down.

What they saw froze them in place.

Serenity was screaming, running away from a giant monster. Duke recognized the armored rhinoceros as a Duel Monsters card, but it should have been just that – a card.

"Serenity!" Tristan shouted, his eyes wide.

Duke couldn't make his throat work. Every time he turned around, something else was wrong with this freaky kid's world, and now that had put Serenity in danger.

Tristan backed up and Duke stared at him in shock, realizing what he was going to do.

"Dude, it's over ten feet to the ground!" he said.

Tristan's eyes were hard and all he said was, "It's Serenity."

Then, before Duke could say anything else, he took a running start and leaped over the wall. He timed it perfectly, slamming onto the monster's back and just barely catching a hand-hold before he could fall. The monster let out a bellow and tossed its head, trying to throw him off.

But it was still chasing Serenity.

Duke cursed. There was just no help for it. He could see in her face that Serenity was terrified. If she stumbled even once . . . .

Labeling himself as the world's biggest idiot, he ran along the wall until he was ahead of where she was and heaved himself onto the stone. He threw his legs over the edge and released his hold, forcing himself not to panic as the ground came closer at an alarming rate.

He hit the ground and immediately bent his knees so he wouldn't break anything. He tumbled sideways and had to scramble to his feet again. Not the best landing ever but he was going for safety over coolness. His ankles ached, as did his shoulder from where he'd rolled, but on the whole he had achieved his objective.

He dashed towards Serenity. She was so panicked that she was running with her eyes closed and he bit his lip, praying she wouldn't trip.

The monster was gaining on her despite Tristan's efforts and in Duke's mind its horns seemed to be getting sharper and sharper. If he didn't make it and that thing tossed its head at Serenity . . . .

Just then it did exactly that. Bellowing in fury, it increased its pace and lowered its head. Right at Serenity.

Duke's mind couldn't even focus on a warning scream. He dived at the brunette girl and grabbed her just in time, throwing them both out of the way. At the same moment, he saw Tristan throw himself forward and grab one of the monster's horns, yanking it off course.

He didn't see the end result of Tristan's action because his shoulder dug into the ground once again and he pulled Serenity even closer, trying to make sure she didn't get hurt. The back of his head hit the ground as they came to a stop and he closed his eyes in pain, releasing the girl he was holding to his chest.

"Duke?!"

Oh gosh. Her shriek made pain erupt in his skull and he raised both hands to his head with a groan. This day just kept getting worse.

"Duke, are you hurt?!"

Hoping it would make her lower the volume of her voice, he forced himself to open his eyes and give her what he hoped was a grin and not a grimace. "Nah, I'm fine."

She sighed in relief and her voice was indeed at a normal volume again when she said, "Thank heaven."

My thoughts exactly.

He forced himself to his feet, helping her up as well. Ignoring the throbbing in his skull he asked, "Are you okay?"

"Just scared," she said, giving him a shaky smile.

You and me both. But he left that thought unsaid. Now that safety wasn't an issue anymore, looking cool had taken its place again.

Suddenly, her smile turned brilliant and she hugged him. He blinked.

"You were so brave! I . . . if you hadn't . . . . Thank you, Duke!"

Right then, Duke Devlin faced a choice.

Because of their height difference, Duke could see over Serenity's head perfectly, and what he could see was a soaking wet Tristan Taylor climbing out of a lake after leading the monster into it.

The choice he had was to, one: go with his instincts and take all the credit so he could not only get higher in Serenity's favor, but get back at Tristan, or two: tell Serenity what Tristan had done and risk losing to his rival even more.

One would cancel out the heroism of his actions; two would enhance it but risk losing acknowledgement.

What did he care about heroism? What he cared about was finding out why Serenity caught his attention when so many other girls didn't.

"Well, I couldn't let you get hurt of course," he said, hugging the brunette back gently.

"Thanks Duke," she said again, stepping back and smiling at him warmly. "I'm glad you didn't get hurt saving me."

Out of the corner of his eye, Duke saw Tristan stop in his tracks, a defeated expression on his face as he heard Serenity.

Duke wondered if Tristan would have picked heroism.

* * *

Yori walked at Kaiba's side as they wove through the trees; as much as she hated her unexplainable healing, she had to admit having her movements completely free again was wonderful. Not to mention it was kind of a necessity since Kaiba had such long-legged strides.

Mokuba seemed to get tired of the walk-jog-walk-jog pace he had to use to keep up, so he ran ahead through the trees. Kaiba looked tempted to call him back but restrained himself. Yori hid a smile.

"Worried he'll get lost?" she asked innocently.

"More like kidnapped," he muttered, so quietly she barely heard him.

She stopped herself from pausing; letting him think she hadn't heard him. She had never thought about it before but it suddenly hit her that this wasn't a new circumstance for Kaiba. As head of one of the most prominent companies in the world, it made sense for him to get threatened all the time. It was a depressing thought. No wonder Kaiba kept people at bay.

"Don't go too far, Moki!" she called, since she couldn't think of anything to say to Kaiba.

"I won't!" the boy shouted back.

Kaiba glanced at her but she couldn't tell what he was thinking. Hopefully, he was a bit more at ease.

They continued on and she let her mind wander. It kept coming back to what Yami and her brother might be doing. She tried to tell herself it was useless to worry since there was nothing she could do about it, but that didn't make a difference.

Something flashed in the corner of her eye and she stopped, turning her head to look.

"What is it?" Kaiba asked, his voice giving her the idea he hoped she'd seen Noah skulking in the trees.

She narrowed her eyes and then shook her head. "Nothing. I'm paranoid."

His shoulders dropped slightly, barely noticeable. Then he gave a hint of his signature smirk. "Thought you saw a monster lurking in the bushes?"

She started walking again. "Close. I thought I saw my Egyptian stalker."

He raised an eyebrow. "The Ishtar guy?"

"Nah. He's just a freaking pain, not really a stalker. I don't think you've met the guy I'm talking about."

"Well, good; the less Egyptians I have throwing destiny or magic speeches at me the better."

"Oh you'd really hate Shadi," she said with a slight smile. "He lives to give cryptic destiny speeches."

"Ugh."

She shook her head slightly. She really was paranoid if she was seeing Shadi somewhere. It made her wonder why him though. If anything, she should be paranoid about Malik lurking around. Something didn't feel right.

"Holy cow! Seto, Yori, come look at this!"

Yori blinked, calling out, "What is it, Moki?"

His voice was laced with excitement as he responded, "Just come here – it's weird!"

Yori shared a look with Kaiba and then started jogging. She ducked under a few branches and smirked when Kaiba had to push them out of his way.

"Come on Kai, tall people are supposed to do the limbo."

"I'd sooner sell my soul to the devil," he said vehemently.

In a light voice she started singing, "_Jack be limbo; Jack be quick. Jack go unda' limbo stick._"

"I can't believe you actually know that song."

"I can't believe you recognize it. Or are you just guessing?"

He immediately rattled off: "Chubby Checker, Limbo Rock."

"So you _do_ limbo," she said with a smirk.

"No," he said flatly. However, he didn't elaborate.

Before she could pry, Mokuba yelled, "Come _on_ you two! I think it might be an exit!"

That sparked her interest. She let the joke drop and ran forward, finding Mokuba after a minute. She came to a stop as she immediately saw what he was calling them for.

There was a door sitting among the trees. It had no walls and wasn't connected to anything; it was just there. Yori groaned.

"I thought I said I'd had all I could take of freaky things," she said.

"Do you think it might be an exit?" Mokuba asked.

"Think Noah just leaves exits lying around for us to find?" she said skeptically. The door was definitely sending up some red flags in her mind. Freaky floating door filed under 'do not trust' as far as she was concerned.

"Maybe that was why the path was there – to distract us!" Mokuba said. "He probably didn't expect us to leave it."

"I don't know," Yori said slowly, eyeing the door. "Something's just off about this."

"Someone who gets in numerous 'street fights' is scared?" Kaiba asked with a smirk, finally speaking up.

"Me and my homies used to call it 'cautious' but, yanno, same dif."

Mokuba giggled. "Come on, Yori. We might as well try it."

"That thing could go anywhere," she pointed out. "Or nowhere at all for that matter."

"Hopefully it will lead to that brat," Kaiba said. He stepped forward and grasped the door handle firmly. "Wherever it goes, I intend to find out."

She sighed. It was probably pointless to try changing his mind.

"Okay," she said reluctantly, "but make sure you look before you step through at least."

He nodded and swung the door open. A brilliant white light poured out and Yori instinctively closed her eyes, shielding them with a hand. She blinked them open again after a moment and the light was completely gone, as was the forest they'd been in.

In its place was a towering white building surrounded by a long iron fence and gate.

* * *

_Authoress's Note: I know I have an odd interpretation of Duke's character but hey, it's fanfiction. This is why we write, right? Hehe, no pun intended. Hope you enjoyed! The next update will be on **May 2nd**!_


	6. Chapter 6: Somewhere in Time

_Chapter 6: Somewhere in Time_

Téa groaned, sitting up slowly. Her head ached fiercely and she leaned forward so she could cradle it in her hands. She felt like she'd been hit with a two-by-four . . . which, strangely enough, might very well have been what had happened. Who knew what those crazy monsters used as clubs.

A grunt off to her side made her look up. She seemed to be on some sort of rock ledge and she could see something flickering in the same direction the sound had come from. She crawled to the edge and peered over, her eyes widening in shock.

The monsters that had captured her were gathered around a large bonfire, setting up a stand of sorts over the flames. One of them hefted a huge cauldron full of water onto the stand and stepped back, licking his lips. Téa was reminded of old cliché movies where the heroine would be about to be boiled alive and the hero would come rushing in to kill the monsters and save her. The thought would have made her laugh except for two things:

One, she was the one on the menu, and two, there was no hero in sight.

Her arms trembled as she scooted as far away from the ledge as she could, up against a rock face. She looked up. The rock wall stretched way too far up for her to lift herself out of whatever hole/cave the monsters had carried her to. She couldn't see any way to climb out either; there wouldn't be enough handholds.

"Help me," she whispered, not knowing who the plea was meant for since there was no one around.

Actually, she knew who the plea was meant for; there was just no way for him to hear it. She had no idea where Yugi was now.

Wherever he is, I hope he's safer than I am, she thought. She bit her bottom lip nervously, looking around. Come on, think, she told herself. There had to be some other way for her to esca–

_Fwip!_

She blinked, looking down at her lap. That was where a thick rope had just landed. She laid a hand on it hesitantly, thinking she must be imagining things.

It felt solid.

She craned her neck up to look at the top of the wall again. What she saw made her eyes widen once again and she gasped.

A penguin waved back at her. Then it motioned her up.

She laughed weakly, closing her eyes. She'd well and truly lost it; what else could have her imagining a penguin tossing her a rope to save her from being boiled alive by ugly green cyclops-ish monsters? Nothing. Yep. She was miles off the deep end.

An excited grunt made her open her eyes again. The grunt was quickly joined by another and another until there was a chorus.

Fearing what she would see, Téa slid the probably-imaginary-definitely-crazy rope off her lap and scooted to the edge again, looking down. The water was boiling in the cauldron and the grunts belonged to the monsters as they all smacked their lips and pointed at the water.

Suddenly, she didn't care if she was crazy. She scrambled to her feet and clutched the rope in both hands.

"Don't let this be fake, please," she begged aloud.

She braced her feet against the wall and started pulling herself up hand over hand.

Movies always made climbing up a rope look so easy and she suddenly hated all of them. The rope pulled on the soft skin of her hands and her arms ached fiercely after only a few moments. She was grateful for all the years of dance she'd done, especially for handstands and some weightlifting, but her arms still weren't used to pulling all of her body weight.

As she climbed, her feet would slip once in a while as well, making it worse as the rope jerked on her arms. She gritted her teeth and kept going. If it took dislocating both arms to avoid becoming monster meal, she was willing.

Below her, the cave suddenly went dead silent. With a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, she realized the monsters must have seen her.

One of them roared and Téa forced herself up the last bit of rope as fast as she could. Her arms screamed at her but she forced it out of her mind, heaving herself over the lip of the rock wall and rolling away from the rope.

She took a few deep breaths and laid her hands on the ground, shoving herself to her feet. The penguin was nowhere to be seen, but the monsters were all roaring and she had no idea how long she would be safe. She looked around desperately.

Everything around her looked pretty much the same – bleak desert. But, just to the left of where she was standing, in the distance, she could see some green. If it was a group of trees – as she was hoping – then she had the chance of hiding.

She crossed her fingers and took off running.

* * *

Kaiba stared in shock, unable to help it.

He was facing a blast from his past he had hoped to never see again – the orphanage.

"Okay, this is kind of weird," Yori said, turning in a complete circle to look around them. "This place mean anything to you?"

Kaiba couldn't bring himself to say it.

"It's . . . the orphanage Seto and I lived in," Mokuba said hesitantly, his former bright smile completely gone.

Yori turned to look at them again, her expression definitely surprised. "You grew up in an orphanage?"

"Well, we were there almost three years before Gozaburo Kaiba adopted us," Mokuba said.

Yori frowned. "How does Noah know that? He recreated this place, right?"

It was a good point. Kaiba added it to the list of questions he was going to drag out of Noah as soon as he found the brat.

Mokuba shook his head, at a loss.

Yori studied the building again. "Wow. Yours is bigger. Much nicer too."

"What?" Kaiba asked, finally breaking his silence.

She shrugged without answering and walked towards the gate. Kaiba growled irritably.

"Yori," Mokuba called out softly. She turned to look at him and raised an eyebrow. He shifted and then continued, "Um, I'd really rather . . . . I don't want to be here."

She smiled gently. "I understand. But look." She pointed behind them. "The door's gone."

Kaiba turned and saw she was right. They were stuck at the orphanage that had been the bane of his existence for years.

"Oh that's not fair," Mokuba mumbled.

"At least there isn't anyone here," Yori pointed out. "It's just a copy of the building and surroundings."

As if to spite her, they suddenly heard an engine. Kaiba turned to watch as a car drove towards them on the road they were standing next to. It stopped in front of the orphanage gates and two young boys climbed out reluctantly.

Kaiba's eyes widened as he realized he was staring at the younger versions of himself and Mokuba.

"Whoa," Mokuba said quietly, stepping out of the way. His expression was positively freaked.

Yori laughed. Kaiba turned to glare at her and snapped, "What's so funny?"

"You were so cute, Kai," she said, her tone teasing. "What happened?"

"Ha, ha," he said, his voice dripping sarcasm.

"I'm wondering the same thing, Mr. Kaiba."

Kaiba paused, his eyes narrowing at the new voice. He'd never heard it before in his life.

"Who's there?" he growled.

"I could offer a few corny titles like 'your worst enemy' but let's just go with a practical one. I'm Noah's partner per se."

"The one who hacked my computer?" he asked, his tone dangerous.

". . . Yeah. That works too. It's not one of the titles I would have offered though – much too long."

The scene around them faded until they were surrounded by darkness. It was only an illusion though because Kaiba could still see his brother and Yori out of the corner of his eye.

A girl appeared in front of him. She looked to be about his age and she had dark red hair that curled around her shoulders and a half-bang that swept across her face just above her right eye. She folded her arms as she locked gazes with him.

"Do you have a name, 'Noah's Partner per se'?" Yori asked.

"Most people do," she said. "Mine's Krisalyn."

"Fancy," Yori responded, her tone rather icy. "What do you want?"

"Two things," Krisalyn said. "One, to tell you that what you just saw wasn't a recreation. You just stepped into Mr. Kaiba's memories. Two, to warn you, Yori Moto."

Kaiba glanced at Yori. She narrowed her eyes. "Warn me about what?"

"As soon as he's done polishing his nails, or whatever he does in his spare time, the leader of the Big Five wants to challenge you to a duel."

Yori smirked. "You think I'm afraid of a duel?"

"Your brother high-tailed it away from him pretty fast."

Kaiba whipped his head around to stare at Krisalyn again. There was no hint of a lie on her face but it couldn't be true. Why on earth would Yugi run away from a duel?

Yori merely waved it off. "Either you're wording that very selectively or Yugi had a very good reason."

Krisalyn raised an eyebrow, seeming curious. "What would be a good enough reason to make 'The King of Games' back out on a duel?"

Yori shrugged. "Maybe the guy wasn't worth his time."

"Or maybe he was really ugly," Mokuba said impishly. "Gansley's the head of the Big Five, right Seto?"

"I'd run too," Kaiba said, straight-faced.

Yori laughed. "Okay, we'll go with that then."

Krisalyn's brow furrowed slightly but she didn't say anything.

"So, anything actually important to say?" Kaiba asked.

"He knows your weakness," Krisalyn said.

Kaiba turned to look at Yori. "I hope that was to you, because it didn't make sense if it was meant for me."

"Pretty high-and-mighty of you to say you have no weakness, isn't it?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Is it egotistical to speak the truth?"

"Nope. Too bad you lied," she said, a smirk playing around her lips.

Too bad indeed. But if he lost his weakness, he would be losing the most important thing in the world to him. Irony was a cruel thing.

"Are you worried at all?" he said.

"Can you clarify 'weakness' for me?" Yori asked, directing her question at Krisalyn once more.

"Only if you're more intelligent than Gansley," Krisalyn said, her eyes dark.

"Let's hope so since, apparently, he's the guy I have to beat."

"You and Kaiba are represented by fire and ice and each of you is your own worst enemy in two separate ways."

Kaiba glared, wondering what made her think she was good enough to pin a weakness on him.

"_That_ weakness," Yori said, her face suddenly a stone mask. "I see."

"I'm sorry."

Everyone looked at Krisalyn, surprised at the words – or suspicious, as was the case for Kaiba.

She let out a small sigh.

"He got the information from me. I'm helping in this whole scheme as a favor to my brother, but that doesn't make me happy about it. I don't have anything against you." She pointed at Kaiba. "My grudge is against him, same as everyone else here. So, I'm sorry you got mixed up in it. That's all."

Yori was dead silent for a moment. Then she asked coldly, "Did you just come here to clear your pretty little conscience?"

Kaiba blinked; glad that hadn't been directed at him.

For a split second, Krisalyn looked like she'd been slapped. Then she shook her head a little and her face fell into a frosty, withdrawn expression.

"Well, that was a fast mood swing," she said mildly.

"I don't appreciate your false sentiments," Yori said, rubbing the bracelet she wore. "If you were really sorry, you'd do something about it. Either you have a will of your own and you're gonna act on it or you're just helping your brother and don't really feel bad because you agree with him. In that case, I don't want to hear you apologize so you can act in free conscience."

No sooner had she finished the last word than everything went pitch black for real and Kaiba felt the floor give way beneath him once again.

* * *

Noah was surprised and amused to see Krisalyn drop her control of the virtual world like it was a spitting cobra. He regretted not watching what she had been doing.

"Did something frighten you, dear?" he asked sweetly through his connection to the control room.

But it was too late. Krisalyn came from a family of experienced businessmen and her own activities made her used to giving a public face. Her expression was already carefully composed again.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean, Noah," she said

"Hmm," he responded, strumming his fingers on the arm of his chair. "Shame."

"Did you need anything else?"

He mulled it over for a moment. Gansley and Krump (who had just barely been sent out) were busy but the rest of the Big Five were restless. He might as well get something else in motion.

"Besides our dear Seto Kaiba, which finalists are roaming my world?" he asked slowly.

"Yugi Moto and Joey Wheeler," she said.

Her voice remained composed as well. How disappointing.

"I believe my next course of action has been decided," he said. He closed the window.

Time to find Joey Wheeler.

* * *

_Authoress's Note: Now we'll finally get to see Joey! It's hard to balance so many characters. Anyway though, I hope you enjoyed it! The next update will be **May 9th**!_


	7. Chapter 7: Heartache

_Chapter 7: Heartache_

Yori hit the ground and rolled to her feet instantly, still fuming. She absolutely hated suck-ups and liars. If that chick was going to feel sorry for it, then she shouldn't have ratted in the first place.

"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say Kaiba won't know what Flashy has against him either," she muttered, nicknaming the girl after her appearance. She had been wearing some diamond jewelry that stuck out to Yori. Seemed like Noah's partner was a moneybags.

"Would you like a medal for your correct answer?"

She turned at the sentence to see Kaiba pushing himself to his feet behind her.

She let herself smirk. "If I had a medal for every time I'd ever been right, I'd be buried alive under them."

She offered him a hand but he ignored it so she let it fall.

"And you said I was egotistical," he muttered.

"Is it egotistical to speak the truth?" she said, repeating their earlier banter.

"No. Too bad you lied."

"Ha! You lose," she said triumphantly. "I said 'nope' not 'no'."

"I rise above street words," he said as he helped Mokuba (who was grinning at their conversation) to his feet as well.

"_Sure_," she said, dragging the word out. "You keep telling yourself that, then slip up and say 'gonna'."

He ignored her, looking around instead. She shared a glance with Mokuba and he giggled. She smiled and looked around as well.

They had been dropped back in the exact same place they'd been before Flashy had arrived. The orphanage loomed ahead of them and Yori gave a small sigh as she studied it.

She'd had no idea that Kaiba and Mokuba were orphans. It was yet another thing she had in common with Kaiba. What she'd said earlier was true though; the orphanage she was standing at now was a whole lot bigger and nicer than the one she had spent too many years in.

No longer smiling, Mokuba said, "I really hate this place. I'd hoped to never see it again."

"It's not the real thing," Kaiba snapped. "It's just a fake made by Noah to mess with our minds."

"Well it's working," Mokuba replied quietly.

Yori mussed his hair with a hand and smiled at him gently; she completely understood how he was feeling. He looked up at her, his eyes slightly surprised, and smiled back slowly.

"Come on you two," she said. "Let's find another funky door or something."

Kaiba nodded but as soon as he took a step, the surroundings changed. They were now standing on a long porch facing a window. Yori was pretty sure it was the porch of the orphanage, even more so when she saw the younger versions of the Kaiba brothers seated in the room on the other side of the window.

"This virtual reality is really annoying," she said mildly.

Kaiba remained silent. He was staring in the window, his eyes widening slowly. Yori blinked, wondering what was spooking him.

Inside, the young brothers were playing a board game while the TV in one corner of the room provided background noise. Nothing seemed odd about it to Yori.

"Seto . . ." Mokuba said slowly, his eyes wide as well, "this was that day. . . ."

Wordlessly, Kaiba turned to look at the long driveway of the orphanage. Yori followed his gaze just as the iron gates opened to reveal a limo parked on the street.

A tall man (though she thought he still looked shorter than Kaiba) dressed in a red business suit was just getting out of the car. He had thick eyebrows and a mustache to match. His hair was fairly short but he had sideburns all the way down to his jawbone. Yori pulled a face; she could tell by his dress and expression that he was the type of stuck-up public-face man she hated.

"It's Gozaburo," Mokuba whispered.

Yori blinked. "Who?"

"Gozaburo Kaiba, our step-father," Kaiba clarified, folding his arms. His normally clear blue eyes were dark and brooding.

"Oh wow," Yori said, looking between the three of them.

"There's no resemblance if that's what you're looking for," Kaiba said flatly.

"That's not it," she murmured, but she didn't add anything else.

Gozaburo had reached them and he walked right by, talking to a man who Yori assumed ran the orphanage. He said something about taking pictures and "getting it over with". Yori narrowed her eyes; she'd been right. He had the exact attitude she hated.

The orphanage door slid open and Yori turned to see the younger Kaiba brothers step out. Little Kaiba's eyes held a fierce light and his hands were clenched at his sides.

"That was him, Moki," he said. Yori blinked, finding it more than a little weird to hear Kaiba's voice as a high tenor and to hear him call Mokuba by the same nickname she'd adopted. She realized now why it had surprised the two brothers so much when she had first used it. Sadly, she wondered how long it had been since Kaiba had used the nickname himself.

"Who, Bro?" young Mokuba asked hesitantly.

"Gozaburo Kaiba. The man who's going to adopt us," little Kaiba said (although Yori realized she shouldn't be identifying him as that since his name hadn't been Kaiba at the time).

"But he's not adopting anyone," the smaller boy said uncertainly.

Young Seto shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I'll get him to adopt us, just you watch. We're gonna start a new life today, Moki."

"That was the day I turned our future around," Kaiba said at Yori's side. She glanced up at him out of the corner of her eye.

"It was also the day you stopped calling me Moki," Mokuba said, so quietly Yori almost didn't hear him. She looked at him sadly. Kaiba didn't seem to have heard.

Gozaburo came back and the young brothers were still waiting for him. Little Seto challenged him to the board game he had been playing (called Chess, Yori discovered) and he scoffed, boasting about how he was world champion and a "little brat" had no hope of beating him. The boy called him on that arrogance and said he would leak the word that Gozaburo was afraid of an orphaned boy beating him.

Of course, after that, there was no way Gozaburo could refuse. The deal he agreed to was adopting both young boys on the spot if he lost.

Which he did.

Yori was fascinated by the Chess match. She'd never played it before but it seemed like a very precise game based on strategy.

"Are you still that good at Chess?" she said in wonder as Gozaburo stared at the board, completely shocked at his loss.

"Even better," Kaiba said with a smirk. "It's been six years since that match."

"You were eleven?" Yori said in surprise.

"Twelve."

So that meant he was already eighteen. Wow. She hadn't really thought about it before. Now that she _was_ thinking though, he was in the same grade of high school as she was. She remembered seeing him sit in the back of a few of her classes; she just hadn't known who he was at the time. Life and all its little quirks.

She saw something move out of the corner of her eye and she turned her head to look. She was surprised to see that it was Mokuba, walking towards the door of the orphanage.

"Mokuba?" she said.

He paused but didn't look back. Kaiba turned to look at him as well, lowering his arms.

"Mokuba?" he repeated.

"I don't want to relive this day," the boy said bitterly. "I'm finding a way out."

Kaiba's expression showed a hint of pain and he took a step forward, one hand out to his brother. At the same moment, Mokuba opened the door to the orphanage and stepped through.

As soon as he did, the surroundings changed again, the orphanage completely melting away to become the edge of a cliff.

An edge that Mokuba had just walked off.

* * *

"Okay, that was kind of weird."

Yugi's voice echoed in the darkness around them.

"I agree. Don't doors usually lead somewhere?" Yami said, looking around.

They weren't even in a room so to speak. There were no walls visible; it was just black. Everywhere. Plus, the door they had come through was gone.

Yugi shivered; it was kind of eerie.

"I guess all we can do is keep moving, right?" he said.

"I suppose," Yami said, beginning to walk. Yugi stayed at his side. He cast around for something to talk about, not wanting to face a silent darkness.

"So . . . wanna hear about Mickey Mouse?"

* * *

Joey stalked through the halls of whatever retarded place he had fallen into. He'd been walking around looking for anyone for what seemed like ages. The more he was met only with empty space, the more his temper was building.

"I know you stuffed-shirts are lurking around here somewhere," he growled, "so why don't you _show yourselves?!_"

Nothing answered him and he dug his hands into his hair in frustration, holding back a scream of rage. He was tired and alone and sick of not knowing what was going on.

Not to mention Mai was still on that blimp. With Malik.

The thought absolutely tortured him. He clenched his fists and shouted at the ceiling, "Come out and duel, ya' virtual freaks! I ain't hiding!"

He was still met only with silence. He snarled at the empty hallway and forced himself to keep walking. If he stopped moving, he'd go crazy.

He hoped his sister was alright – hoped Tristan was with her. The guy might not know anything about dueling but at least he knew how to fight. Plus, Joey remembered Serenity telling him shyly how much she liked his friend. She would probably feel more at ease with him around.

"Show yourselves!" he shouted again, his nails digging into his palms.

The silence was as deafening as ever; in frustration, he slammed a fist against the wall.

Not the smartest thing ever. He inwardly winced as he did it, expecting to feel a few of his knuckles snap under the pressure, as had happened once or twice before.

To his surprise, the wall snapped instead.

He stared at it blankly, watching pieces fall away from the hole he had easily created. He pulled his hand back slowly.

"Cheap walls," he said aloud, his voice echoing in the hallway.

Suddenly, a snap sounded in the air again and cracks began spreading out from the hole, traveling across the wall in moments. Then, the whole wall collapsed.

Joey jumped back with a startled yelp. "_Really_ cheap walls!"

The gaping hole revealed a hidden door and he blinked at it, uncomprehending. Then, as soon as his brain finally caught up with what it was, he let out a whoop and kicked the door open.

He rushed into the room beyond and skidded to a stop, staring at his surroundings as a smile slowly spread across his face.

He was back in the hanger where the blimp was.

"Mai," he whispered.

He raced forward to the stairs leading up to the blimp's entrance, taking them three at a time.

"Anyone here?!" he shouted as he ran down the hallway, hoping some of the others might have found their way back as well.

The silence he was so familiar with was his only answer and he gritted his teeth, hoping they'd be able to find their way soon. He darted down the different hallways until he reached the one with Mai's room.

His heart froze as he saw that the door to Mai's room was open. If Malik had. . . . He couldn't even finish the thought. He ran into the room.

It was empty except for Mai. She was lying on her bed where the doctors had placed her, absolutely still. Nothing had changed.

Joey felt a lump form in his throat and he forced it down as he stepped forward, stopping at the edge of her bed. Her long golden hair spilled over her shoulders and the pillow, framing her face. She looked absolutely gorgeous. He'd never told her that. Stupid pride.

"I'll have a whole lot to tell ya' as soon as you wake up, Mai," he whispered, reaching a hand out. He hesitated but then touched her cheek gently, stroking it once. "I promise I'll find a way to free ya' soon."

Suddenly, her violet eyes slid open.

Joey started, jerking his hand back as if it'd been bitten by a cobra. Then her eyes turned to him and he felt his heart start to bounce around wildly in his chest.

"Mai?" he whispered breathlessly, almost not daring to hope.

She blinked once and then frowned slightly, as if confused about what was going on. Maybe she couldn't remember what had happened.

But, whatever the case, Mai was awake. A brilliant smile split Joey's face from ear to ear and he found himself trying to say so many things at once that he was moving his jaw wordlessly.

Finally, he simply forced out, "Mai!"

She slowly slid to her feet, facing him. He was just too happy to say anything. He reached out a hand to her . . .

. . . and then stopped when her eyes narrowed and her lips split into a feral grin.

"My my, you're not very intelligent are you, Joseph?" she said; only it certainly wasn't Mai's voice. It was a man's.

Joey stopped cold, his rapid heart freezing in place.

Mai melted away to reveal one of the Big Five. The man adjusted his glasses and smirked.

"You can call me Johnson," he said. "Former Chief Legal Advisor for the Kaiba Corporation."

Joey remained absolutely silent and still.

"I'm afraid I'm here to take you to court so that I can claim your body and escape to the real world, Joseph," Johnson continued, not seeming to notice anything amiss. "Of course, by this I mean a duel. Have you ever noticed how similar dueling is to a courtroom trial? It's really quite marvelous. Now, let me state to you the reasons why I deserve your bod–"

He was cut off as Joey slammed a fist into his jaw and sent him flying into the back wall the bed was pushed against.

Joey stood with his head bowed and his fist still clenched, breathing heavily.

"Yeah, Johnson," he snarled, his accent coming out thick and dark in his anger, "I'll duel ya', 'cause I ain't lettin' ya' get away with takin' Mai's form like that. She deserves way better than some suit struttin' around pretendin' ta' be her."

Johnson's eyes were filling his face as he stared at the furious teen. The back of one hand was pressed against his jaw and he seemed at a loss for words. Joey didn't break the silence again; he simply lowered his fist slowly and waited.

Finally, Johnson tried to salvage any dignity he'd had and climbed to his feet, the room melting away as he did so.

"W-welcome to the dueling arena," he said, not anywhere near the confident attorney he'd portrayed before.

They stood in a courtroom – Johnson behind the judge's seat and Joey at the opposite side on a little stand he didn't have a name for. He didn't really care what it was called. He held his arm out and activated his duel disk, frowning when he saw his deck was no longer in its place.

"What'd ya' do with my deck, ya' freak?" he demanded.

Johnson gained a bit more composure. "Oh, that. The rules of the game are quite different here, as we mentioned before. You'll have to rebuild your deck from a virtual selection of cards in order to duel."

"Well, give 'em to me then," Joey said, holding his other hand out.

Johnson tsked. "Not like that, Joseph. You'll see in a minute. Also, let me explain something else. In this version of the game, you are allowed to choose one Deck Master. It can be any monster you want and each has their own special ability. Your Deck Master's special ability can be used any chance you get and the monster remains off the field until you summon him in. However, if your Deck Master gets destroyed on the field, you lose the duel, no matter what the life points are."

"Easy enough," Joey said, lowering his hand.

"Choose your Deck Master wisely, for I do say mine is formidable," Johnson said, his smirk beginning to return now that he was once more in control. "I might even go as far as to say unbeatable."

As he spoke, he began to change forms again, only this time it was into a monster Joey had seen a few times before but didn't have in his deck. Judge Man.

"Now choose your deck, Joseph."

As he said the words, cards suddenly appeared in the air before Joey. They were scrolling up in front of him in rows of five and disappearing at a certain height.

"Find the cards you want quickly, Joseph. They won't reappear."

He saw Graceful Dice nearing the top row and touched it with a finger. It immediately disappeared and out of the corner of his eye he saw it appear in the deck slot in his dueling disk.

Okay, simple enough.

He touched all of the cards from his normal deck as they went flashing by, cursing silently when he missed one or two. He sacrificed a magic card so he could snag Red Eyes before it disappeared. He'd given his real one to Yugi to help him against Marik but as long as they were in the virtual world, it would be nice to have his dragon in his deck again even if he didn't get a chance to use it.

He paused once when a card appeared that he recognized as readily as if it were his own. Cyber Harpy. Mai's favorite card. Swallowing once, he touched the card just before it disappeared, making another silent promise to help his friend as soon as possible.

He finished picking the forty cards that made up a dueling deck and then pulled them out of his duel disk again, sorting through them to find a good monster to serve as his whatchamacallit.

Flame Swordsman. He smiled slightly as he looked at the card, remembering all the good times in Duelist Kingdom with Yugi when Flame Swordsman had been his most relied-on card. He was willing to rely on it again.

"I pick the Flame Swordsman as my what's-a-bucket," he said, pulling the card out of his deck.

"Deck Master, Joseph," Johnson said, as if talking to a four year-old.

"Yeah, that. Flame Swordsman is my Deck Master." As soon as he said the words, the card disappeared from his hand. He blinked in surprise and then turned when he saw something out of the corner of his eye.

Flame Swordsman was standing off to his side. Not the card, the actual monster. Life-size. Joey grinned.

"I promise I will help lead you to victory in any way that I can," Flame Swordsman said, inclining his head.

"Whoa!" Joey whispered in awe. He hadn't expected him to actually talk. He gave the monster a thumbs up and turned to face Johnson again, narrowing his eyes.

"Okay," he said, shuffling his deck and sliding it back into his duel disk. "Let's start this."

* * *

_Authoress's Note: Hope you liked it! Um, my tired mind can't come up with much more than that, lol. The next update will be next **Saturday, May 16th**, the day after my **birthday**. :D REVIEWS MAKE FANTASTIC GIFTS BY THE WAY! hehe. Hope everyone has a good weekend! Ciao!_


	8. Chapter 8: New Light and a Distraction

_Chapter 8: A Bit of New Light and a Distraction_

Kaiba's heart stopped as the ground disappeared from beneath Mokuba and his little brother screamed.

He threw himself forward, catching his brother's arm just in time. Mokuba looked up at him, eyes wide with fear as he dangled over the giant drop.

"Don't look down, Mokuba," Kaiba grunted, slowly pulling him back up. He didn't have any real support in his position and it made the job twice as hard.

"T-too late," Mokuba said, his voice breathy and trembling. He latched onto Seto's arm with his free hand, squeezing his eyes shut.

Kaiba felt something touch his free arm and he glanced sideways. Yori was kneeling at his side and she had a hand extended wordlessly. He grabbed it and allowed her to steady him so that he could pull Mokuba back onto the ledge.

"T-thanks, Seto," Mokuba whispered when he was on firm ground again. His arms were bracing him as he kneeled and Kaiba could see them trembling. He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder gently. Mokuba looked up at him and the remaining fear slowly left his face, replaced by a grateful smile.

Kaiba climbed to his feet, helping his brother up as well. He looked at Yori, who was still kneeling.

Then he froze.

Yori was smiling at him, but it was different than any other look she'd ever given him. It was a gentle smile that barely lifted her lips – nothing too remarkable. It was her eyes that stopped him.

He remembered being struck by how clear her eyes were at one point during their first meeting. He realized now that they'd been cloudy every other time he'd been with her.

Up until that moment.

As she looked at him right then, her crystal eyes were as clear as a sheet of glass, and in them he could see a depth of emotion he wasn't used to. Respect. Understanding. Warmth. He could identify them even if he didn't really understand the reason.

"Seto?" his brother said curiously.

Kaiba shook himself mentally. He was still a bit unnerved, but not in a bad way.

He held a hand out for Yori. She took it wordlessly and let him pull her to her feet. She squeezed his hand once before letting go and exhaling.

"So, where do we go from here?" she said, looking around their new surroundings.

Kaiba looked around them for the first time as well. The ledge they were on was slightly raised and completely rock but as the ground sloped downward grass began reappearing. Trees lay a good distance away – a forest. He thought for a moment that they might be right back where they started but then he noticed that this forest's trees were a lot more spread out and had far more grass and bushes than the first one.

"I guess there's nothing we can do except keep walking?" Mokuba said quietly, offering it as more of an unsure question than a suggestion.

"It's better than just standing around uselessly," Kaiba agreed. "Let's go."

Yori nodded. They all began walking in silence. As the moments passed, Kaiba let his thoughts wander, trying to figure out what he had done to catch Noah's attention (although his mind drifted to a certain pair of violet eyes rather often).

Finally, after a while, Mokuba burst out, "Someone say something!"

Kaiba blinked, pulling his mind back to the moment. "Huh?"

"Walking in the middle of a forest completely silent is creepy!" Mokuba said, rubbing his arms.

"Pick a subject," Yori said, sliding her hands into her pockets. "I'm up for talking too."

Kaiba remained silent.

Mokuba shrugged. "I don't know. Um . . . do you like any games?"

"Duel Monsters is about all I play," she said, tossing her head a little to throw her bangs out of her eyes, "and that became a lot more than a game for me years ago. I've never even touched any video or board games."

That surprised Kaiba. His life practically revolved around games; it was hard to imagine not knowing how to use any of them.

"_Wow_," Mokuba said, eyes wide, obviously thinking the same thing. "What do you do for fun then?"

She gave a small half-laugh, seeming unsure of how to respond. "Well, entertainment's not really a big part of my life. I enjoy playing soccer but I rarely have time for it. I get jobs singing as often as I can. Um, I can play guitar but I don't actually own one."

"Why not?" Kaiba asked, deciding to join in after all.

"Jobs are hard to find and I have more important things to pay for," she said, her voice holding a bit of irony. He had the feeling there was more to it than that but she didn't elaborate.

"Well, what kind of work do you do?" Mokuba said, walking backwards so he could look at her for a moment.

"Heh. Pretty much anything and everything," she said, shaking her head slightly. "I've been everything from a dishwasher to a secretary."

"Have you ever worked with computers?" Kaiba asked. He paused and nodded ahead. "Mokuba, turn."

Mokuba turned around just in time to avoid tripping over a tree root. He smiled over his shoulder sheepishly. Yori gave a light laugh.

"I'm not an expert but I do know what I'm doing," she said in response to Kaiba. "I've never actually had a job with them before though."

Before he really thought about the words, Kaiba found himself saying, "Would you like to try it?"

Yori turned slightly to look at him. "What?"

Crap. He couldn't believe he was actually doing this. Trying a shrug, he forced his voice to be cool, as if it didn't matter. "My company takes a lot of manpower to run; I can always use new employees. If you're interested, you could work in record keeping or something."

She stopped walking completely, staring at him. He scowled.

"What?" he snapped defensively. "If you don't want to, then just say so."

"No!" she said, shaking her head as a smile worked its way across her face. "It's not that I don't want to – you just caught me by surprise. That would be so awesome, you don't even know. Honestly. Are you serious?"

His scowl slid to a light smirk. "I'm always serious."

She laughed. A small genuine laugh. "That would be incredible. I'm holding you to it."

"Just don't disappoint me," he said, his smirk widening slightly.

Mokuba giggled, finally breaking his silence. "You'll like working at Kaiba Corp. Seto gives lots of employee benefits – plus you'll be able to catch up on all the latest stuff!"

"You'll have to teach me what it all is," she said.

"No problem! You should come play video games with me sometime," Mokuba said, his voice full of excitement. "Then you can see our house, too!"

Yori glanced at Kaiba, raising an eyebrow. "Would you mind if I invaded your home sometime?"

"Whatever," Kaiba said, rolling his eyes slightly.

"Guess that settles it then," she said. "I'll give you my cell phone number and you can . . . oh crap, wait. I forgot I don't have a cell phone anymore."

"Why?" Mokuba asked, frowning.

She looked sheepish. "I had a clip case for it on my belt and, um, when I got pulled into the ocean after that one duel, I was still wearing it. The water completely ruined it and I had to throw it away."

"Oh, sorry," Mokuba said, grimacing. "I'll just call the Game Shop then, okay?"

"That works."

Kaiba frowned slightly, thinking about something. It would probably be best if he. . . .

Oh crap.

He came to a stop and growled in irritation. Before anyone could ask, he pointed through the trees ahead of them.

In a small clearing stood a single wooden door.

* * *

After listening to Yugi tell him several stories of this American Mouse, Yami shifted the conversation from Mickey to where Yugi had first seen it. He was surprised to see Yugi blush.

"What?" he asked curiously.

"Well . . . to be honest . . . it was kind of my first date, if you could call it that," Yugi said, rubbing the back of his neck. "A girl I used to know in elementary school invited me over to her house one day and she showed it to me."

Yami blinked, wondering if he should pretend he knew what a date was. He'd heard of a birth-date before but he had no idea why Yugi would be embarrassed about seeing a cartoon when he turned the age of one. He also had no idea how he would remember that far back or why he would have been in school already.

In the end, he decided against pretending. "What's a date?"

Yugi's steps faltered for a moment. "Oh, it's, uh . . . it's when you spend special time with someone you like. _Like_ like."

"Oh," Yami said, turning pink as he remembered a certain 'time' on top of a blimp with a certain 'someone'.

Yugi smiled. "The really good dates are when you ask the girl formally and you set a time and date – hence the name – and then you get to feel butterflies in your stomach all the way up to the set time. Then you both get dressed up and you go pick the girl up. The guy always does that; it's more proper. Plus, it makes a good impression. Then you take her to dinner or another special event – more than one sometimes. All the while you do special stuff like open doors for her, pull chairs out for her, compliment her, hold her hand, offer her your jacket if it's cold . . . there are a whole bunch of things."

Yami blinked, a little overwhelmed. "What does the girl do?"

"Thinks of ways to make you blush," Yugi said with a laugh. "Lots more too of course – date is a two-way thing. They sneak you special smiles when you do things and they return compliments and leave their hand hanging so you can hold it. They spend hours getting ready so they look just right when you see them – oh, you might have to wait because of that sometimes. Don't freak out; it's supposed to be that way. It means they like you enough to spend forever making sure they'll take your breath away when you first see them."

Yami wondered when it had suddenly turned into a more personal advice thing instead of a generalization. Not that he minded – he was taking mental notes on everything.

"I don't remember you ever doing this," he said, a bit curious about why.

"You've been inside the puzzle for them," Yugi said, tugging on the chain of said puzzle absently. "I've been asked a bunch of times since I became King of Games after Pegasus's tournament. I say yes when I can because I don't want to be rude, but I usually don't see them more than once. They were nice girls and everything but something just didn't feel right about any of them."

Yami found a smile tugging at his lips. It was probably because the only girl Yugi did seem interested in was always with him.

Just to see what would happen, Yami said absently, "I wonder how many dates Téa has gone on. . . ."

The result was immediate; Yugi's ears went pink.

"She gets asked a lot too," he mumbled. "She's pretty popular."

"Have you ever asked her on one?" Yami said innocently.

Yugi eeped and then looked at Yami accusingly. Yami let a slow smile spread across his face.

"Only asking," he said knowingly. "You should definitely invite her on a date with you soon."

"We're just friends," Yugi said, picking up his walking pace a little.

"Of course," Yami said, matching him easily. "Yori and I are friends as well."

"_Completely_ different!"

"Whatever you say."

"Yami!"

"That's my name."

"_Augh!"_

"That's not even a word."

Yugi harrumphed and fell silent. Yami smiled to himself. It seemed the self-proclaimed matchmaker would need a little prodding of his own. He would just have to talk to Yori and. . . .

He felt a sudden pang as he realized he didn't know when he would be able to talk to Yori next. It would just have to wait however long.

They walked in silence only a few minutes more before Yugi exclaimed, "Finally!"

Yami was amused to see the boy seemed to have forgotten completely that he was supposed to be mad at the spirit. Then he saw what Yugi was excited about.

There was another door ahead of them.

* * *

Great plan, Téa. Run for the trees. Fantastic. Too bad you didn't think about what might be in your way of the trees!

The reason for the girl's berating of herself lay before her in the form of a giant gorge. A river raced through the bottom of it (which was so far down she didn't even want to think about it much less look at it), moving so fast that it foamed white around the rocks in its path. A drop would certainly mean death.

A single bridge spanned the long distance.

Now, if she could have left the description at 'bridge', she would have felt much safer. Bridges were normally very sturdy, made of concrete, wood, stone . . . things that held together. . . .

Unfortunately, there was a lot more to this 'bridge'. Such as the fact that it was sagging into the mouth of the gorge. Also that it was made of rope with vines wrapped around weaker places in what appeared to be an attempt to strengthen it – really only serving to make it look more unstable. The wooden planks tied into the bottom to walk on were all spaced over a foot apart, making it impossible to avoid looking down to watch your footing.

The worst part though, was that it was too late for her to turn around.

It hadn't taken the monsters long to start the chase and they were now too close for her to try another direction. It was the bridge or nothing. She gulped, trembling as she looked at the scene before her.

"It's just virtual," she whispered, her voice quivering. "I won't die. No, forget that; I won't even fall. I can do this. Come on, Téa."

She gripped both of the railing ropes of the bridge and – before she could let herself reconsider – stepped onto the first plank.

It held.

She let out a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. Then, slowly, she stepped onto the next. One at a time, Téa. I can make this. Next. Focus on the wood, not the river. Next. Next. Next. Nex-whoa!

She stopped and caught her breath, pulling her shoe back up onto the bridge. Her mouth was dry and she licked her lips. One slip was okay; she was still alive. She forced herself to take another step, a little slower this time. And the next. Okay, good.

She was almost half-way across when a loud roar behind her made her freeze in place. She didn't know how, but somehow she just knew that the first monster had just stepped onto the bridge.

Then it jerked violently and there was no doubt left at all.

Her lower lip trembled and she bit down on it hard. Come on, she thought, this is _not_ the time to lose it! _Not now!_

Her knuckles were bone white with the grip she had on the ropes and she forced herself not to look back. She only focused on the next step, pushing herself to move as fast as she could.

The bridge swayed and moaned and she had the sinking feeling that not just one monster was planning on following her. There was no way the ropes could support them all!

In the next second, one of them roared; it almost covered the snapping sound, but not quite. For a brief second, Téa felt the rope in her left hand slacken.

She screamed.

The left side of the bridge sagged and her feet slide sideways. She clung to the remaining rope like a lifeline, terrified beyond thought.

The monsters behind her roared and grunted. The remaining bridge shook violently with their attempts to get off it and it was just too much for it to handle. The right side snapped.

Téa felt air rushing past her and she couldn't stand it. Her eyes couldn't remain open anymore and – even though she knew it was useless – all she could do was scream and cling to that rope in her hands.

The impact came a lot sooner than she expected. And she slammed into it face-first.

Her death grip saved her and she slowly blinked, groaning. But, she didn't feel any water around her. In fact, she felt like she had hanging from the rope she had used to escape the monster's cave the first time.

When her vision returned fully, she realized why. The rope had snapped behind her and when she clung to it, she had followed its fall to the wall of the gorge – the impact she'd felt. Now she was hanging on what was left of the bridge.

But she wasn't dead. She felt almost giddy at the thought and she began pulling herself up the rope, praying her luck would last. Her throat was dry from screaming and the pain she had felt in her arms earlier returned quickly, but it didn't matter. She was alive!

She pulled herself over the lip of the gorge and rolled onto her back, panting. A smile of relief found its way onto her face.

Then something leaned into her field of vision. A penguin, to be exact.

It squawked at her and seemed to smile, bouncing slightly. She forced herself to sit up, staring at it wordlessly. It waddled backwards a bit and waited.

"Are you the same one as before?" she croaked, thinking she was insane for talking to it.

It bobbed its head and squawked again, waddling off to the side and then pausing.

She'd already established the fact that she was going crazy but she reminded herself of it once again, just so she wouldn't forget. The penguin waved one of its flippers and her and started waddling again. She took it as a sign that it wanted her to follow it.

"Why not?" she muttered. It wasn't like she had any better ideas.

She pushed herself to her feet with a groan and followed the penguin. The black and white bird wove its way through the trees silently, seeming satisfied.

She followed her unlikely guide for what seemed like hours, resting when she needed to. The penguin always waited until she was ready and then just started moving again. She asked it once if it knew where any other humans were but it only squawked and kept moving. She hoped that meant it was leading her to them. She could really use a familiar face.

However, when they finally reached their destination, there were no humans to be found. Just a mass of penguins.

"Uh . . . take me to your leader?" she said nervously. The penguins were all gathered in some kind of ice temple that was built on the edge of the forest out of the blue. She figured the whole virtual thing was the reason it didn't melt and she knew she wouldn't get a different answer even if she bothered asking.

"Over here, Téa," said a deep voice.

She stiffened and looked in the direction it had come from. A penguin was seated on a table made of ice. He was different from the rest in looks, size, and the fact that he was wearing a suit jacket, shirt, bowtie, and top hat. The duel disk on his left flipper just added to the bizarreness of it all.

"You know my name?" she said, blinking in confusion.

"Oh and so much more," the penguin said smugly. "I've got all the interesting numbers on you. You're five foot five, fifteen years old – sixteen when August 18th rolls around."

She took a step back, clenching her fists. "Who are you? How do you know that?"

"I should think it'd be obvious. I'm Krump – former Accountant of Kaiba Corp."

One of those five guys after Kaiba. She glared at him. "Why are you suddenly a penguin?"

"Welcome to a virtual world my dear; nothing is as it seems. I have taken this form only temporarily, but for a very good reason," he said, pulling out a clipboard. "Now, according to my numbers, there is a 100% chance of us dueling. There are records of you dueling only five times in your life which gives you about a 1% chance of winning."

"Wait, you want to duel me?!" she cried. She remembered thinking before that the Big Five should pick someone who couldn't duel at all if they really wanted to win. She was tempted now to laugh at the irony; it would probably just come out as slightly hysterical if she did.

"You don't have much of a choice," Krump said, tapping a flipper on the clipboard. "Now, will you let me get back to the data? Hmm. Apparently you aren't good under pressure because you get full points on most of your school assignments and yet you've failed exactly thirty-seven tests in math alone through the years."

She flushed scarlet. "H-hey! How do you know that?! My school life – my life in _general_ – is none of your business!"

"Nonsense, Téa," Krump said, somehow getting a smirk through to her with just his eyes since the beak apparently wouldn't bend that way. "Your life is very much my business. I need to know all the numbers on you so that, when I win the duel and take control of your body, I can _be_ you."

"Pervert," she spat, taking a step back. "There's no way I'm letting you take my body!"

He hopped off the table and came towards her. She finally realized just how much bigger than a normal penguin he was. She glared and took another step back, wondering if she could distract him or something.

"_HEY!_" a familiar voice suddenly yelled. "Get away from her!"

Téa froze in place, whipping her head around to look behind her.

At the entrance to the strange ice temple, a single figure was standing. His fists were clenched at his sides and he had his feet planted apart as he looked past her to Krump. Anger flashed in his violet eyes.

"Yugi!" she shouted, relieved and overjoyed to see him.

He glanced at her and his eyes changed to show the same emotions – but he kept his glare for Krump. He slowly walked forward.

"Yugi Moto isn't it?" Krump said, sounding surprised. "I thought Gansley was supposed to take care of you."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Yugi said in response.

He stopped so that he was standing at Téa's side.

"Well we're busy here, runt. Why don't you beat it?" Krump said.

"Look who's talking," Yugi said shortly. It was true; he was still a little taller than Krump's penguin form.

"Watch it, kid," Krump snapped.

"Téa, the Pharaoh and I started a tradition here," Yugi said conversationally, seeming to ignore the member of the Big Five. "I think we should keep it going."

"What?" she asked, confused.

"Well, it's a tradition where. . . ."

She blinked as his voice trailed off and his eyes were drawn from her to behind Krump. He suddenly eeped and jumped back a step, pointing at something.

"_Ohmygoshlookadistraction!_" he yelled, his eyes wide.

He'd spoken too fast for her mind to catch but she automatically whipped her head around to look where he was pointing – as did Krump. In the same moment, Yugi grabbed her hand and pulled her away into a run. She gasped in surprise but went with it.

That was when her mind finally decoded what he'd shouted. She was laughing all the way out of the ice temple and into the forest, even as Krump's furious shouts followed them.

* * *

_Authoress's Note: I hope you're all having a fantastic weekend - I certainly am! This chapter was a ton of fun to write and I hope you enjoyed it, hehe. See you again on **May 23rd** for the next update!_


	9. Chapter 9: Fights

_Chapter 9: Fights_

"Oh, no," Mokuba said, shaking his head as he stared at the new door. "Not again; let's go around."

"I doubt Noah will let us," Yori said, her tone grim. "These must be part of his plan; I don't think he's going to allow us to just duck around them."

Mokuba groaned. He hadn't thought of that.

"Get a grip, Mokuba," his older brother said, not unkindly. "Noah wants to toy with your mind. You just can't let it affect you."

He hesitated but then took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, Seto. I'll do my best."

A hint of a smile passed over Seto's face.

"Shall I do the honors?" Yori asked. Then, without waiting for an answer, she stepped forward and opened the door.

The familiar white light flooded over them and Mokuba closed his eyes until it passed. When he opened them again, he blinked.

He'd never seen the place they were at in his life.

"Noah seems to have screwed up," Seto said, his tone suggesting that he wasn't heartbroken over the idea.

"Well, he may have screwed up, but his technology didn't."

Mokuba looked over at Yori, surprised at her words. She was standing with one hand on her hip and the other casually at her side, but somehow the pose didn't seem at all casual to him. It was almost like she was a jack-in-the-box that was slowly being wound – still normal on the outside but ready to lose it at any moment.

"What makes you say that?" Seto asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It must have something to do with who opens the door," Yori murmured. She touched her back pocket and then grimaced. "Of course it's not there. Some nameless idiot forgot to arm herself before running out the door for potentially dangerous situations." Her voice level rose and she said, "You don't recognize it because it isn't one of your memories; it's one of mine. I lived here when I was fourteen."

"_Here?_" Mokuba couldn't help saying. Then he clapped a hand to his mouth and hastily amended, "I mean, not that it isn't, um –"

"It's okay, Moki," she said, shifting slightly. "It's a dump and I was_ very_ happy to be rid of it when I moved."

"What were you doing here?" Seto asked.

Mokuba looked around them more closely. They were definitely in a run-down, abandoned part of some town. 'Dump' described it pretty well.

"Well, lookie here."

Mokuba jumped at the new voice and spun to find its source. When he had, his eyes widened.

"Finding out about reality," Yori said softly, answering Seto's earlier question. "That guy is the leader of a street gang."

The guy in question looked to be about fifteen or sixteen and definitely had the look of someone who lived on the streets. What held Mokuba's attention most was the giant scar he had across the right side of his face. It made the guy's smirk truly hideous and frightening.

As he smirked, the gang leader said, "Seems girlie showed up after all."

He was far enough away that Mokuba could just barely hear him. He frowned a little, confused at the leader's words.

"I told you not to call me that," a familiar but younger voice replied.

Mokuba looked farther to his left, almost not trusting his eyes as he watched a Yori about his age walk up to stand a few feet away from the gang leader.

"Wow," Seto said, his usual composure slipping for a second.

"I didn't have a friendly past either," the older Yori said quietly.

The younger Yori had completely jet black hair and her bangs only came halfway down her cheeks. Her hair looked like it had been whacked off with a dull pair of scissors by someone who didn't care about the end result; the longest part of it only brushed her shoulders and the shortest parts stuck up in the back like rooster tails.

She was wearing a lime green tanktop that looked fairly new. The same could not be said about her jeans; they were dirty and torn in multiple places. Her blue sneakers were well-worn as well. She had a different belt than the one Mokuba always saw her wearing but it still had a pouch for a dueling deck. No cell phone holder.

Despite all of it though, the biggest thing about the younger Yori that struck Mokuba was her air of innocence. He could see only one or two scars on her bare arms and they were small, the kind that anyone could get. Her face was more open and her stance was relaxed. And her eyes . . . he couldn't quite explain it but her eyes seemed more clear and readable than normal. She wasn't hiding what she felt.

"I do what I want, girlie," the leader said. He gestured to the two guys he had standing with him. "So, we gave you a generous offer. Looks like you're here to take up on it."

Mokuba frowned, asking, "What offer?"

"To join their gang," Yori said, sounding like the words were something foul she wanted to spit out.

"You agreed?" Seto said incredulously.

Right as he finished the question though, the younger Yori said flatly, "I came to tell you I'm not interested."

"Oh really?" The leader sighed. "I don't think you understood our offer. See, what I meant was 'either join us, or we'll kick your !&*'."

As he spoke, his two goons started closing in on Yori. She looked between them quickly, her black hair brushing her cheeks as she did so.

"Knock it off," she said sharply. "It was an _offer_, which means I'm free to decline."

"Oh, you really _are_ new in town, aren't you?" scar-face said with another smirk "The way it works around here is that you're either with or against us. You have some decent fighting skills and I'd hate to see those go to waste, but we both know you can't handle three-on-one. So, care to reconsider your answer?"

Young Yori's eyes flashed. "I won't be bullied into anything. There's no way I'm following you."

"Pity," the leader said, stroking his scar. "Grab her, boys."

The girl turned and ran.

Suddenly, something blocked Mokuba's vision. He jumped back a step and then blinked, looking up at the older Yori, standing in front of him.

"You two really don't need to see this," she said, her voice raw.

For a moment, Mokuba thought she didn't want him invading her privacy, but his mind told him it was something else. He looked at her for a moment until it finally clicked.

"This happened to _you_ and you're worried about _us_ getting hurt?" he said incredulously.

She rubbed the back of her neck, seeming to find it hard to meet his eyes. "Well, it already happened to me. There's no sense in it affecting other people. . . . I . . . um. . . ."

She trailed off as Mokuba stepped forward and hugged her.

"You're stupid," he said affectionately. "You should be freaking out because you have to relive it, not because we're here to see it. Friends are here for support."

He stepped back and smiled at her. She blinked and then looked past him at Seto. Mokuba turned to look at his brother as well, his smile turning to a grin. Seto glanced at him and then gave Yori a one-shouldered, helpless shrug.

"He makes friends that fast all the time. He even considers Yugi a friend."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "So nice to know that you don't. He _is_ my brother you know."

"I have a score to settle with him," Seto said defensively. Then he added, rather childishly, "He started it."

Mokuba had the urge to laugh. His brother probably didn't realize it but he seemed to be making friends too. He never would have given an excuse for himself if he didn't care what Yori thought.

"You dueled his grandpa," Mokuba said, unable to resist jibing his brother. "So, technically, you started it."

"He agreed to it," Seto sniffed.

"So my brother challenged you to a duel and you lost," Yori said. "That's the score you have to settle?"

"Things were different then," Seto said, folding his arms. "We both deserve a rematch."

A hint of a smile tugged at Yori's mouth. "Fair enough. But you should know, Kai, friendships exist outside the arena."

Before anything else could be said, the younger Yori suddenly let out a cry and fell into the middle of their circle. They all kind of jumped back in surprise, having forgotten where they were for a moment.

One of the goons jumped after her, right through Mokuba.

"Ahh!" Mokuba cried, startled. People were not supposed to just jump through other people, it was way past unnatural. He stumbled over to Seto's side, backing away from the fight. The older Yori followed, tensed up once more.

Young Yori kicked the guy in the stomach and scrambled backwards – half crab-walking and half scooting. The gang member clutched his stomach and cussed. He dived forward and caught her arms and legs, pinning her to the ground. She jerked her head forward and cracked foreheads with him, making Mokuba wince. The guy did the same and one of his knees slipped off her right leg, freeing it.

She immediately kicked him in the groin. All the men in the area let out a hiss, cringing.

"All's fair in war," the older Yori said defensively.

The girl's actions succeeded in forcing the guy to release her and she threw him off. She scrambled to her feet and turned to run again.

Unfortunately, the other gang member had snuck up behind her and he pinned her arms behind her back before she could turn.

"Get up here, Nao," the teen snarled at his companion on the ground. Young Yori kicked and struggled but she wasn't in a good position to do anything.

The injured guy, Nao, groaned and stumbled to his feet. He gave the girl a glare that sure looked like it could kill and then hobbled forward to help hold her – keeping well away from her kicking legs.

"Do you get away?" Mokuba asked the older Yori worriedly, looking up at her.

She grimaced slightly and rubbed the back of her neck again. "Eventually."

That didn't sound good. Mokuba turned back to the younger Yori.

The gang leader walked up, spinning a lighter between his fingers casually.

"Resisting only makes it worse, girlie," he said, turning the lighter on and then blowing it out, spinning it again. "I'll show you. Have you ever been burned with a lighter before? Some people call the scar a smiley." He stroked the scar on his face again. "When I finish, I might give you a full smile like mine. Until then, what are some tender spots to burn, boys?"

"In between fingers," the unnamed crony said coldly.

"That's one," the leader agreed.

The younger Yori snarled and twisted again, trying to get loose as the leader got closer.

"Right below her eyes," Nao growled, still kind of hunched over.

"Better," the gang leader said, smirking.

"No way!" Mokuba shouted.

Yori put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay Moki, you don't see one on my face, do you?"

"These guys are horrible!"

"They're gang members," she said, dropping her hand. "It's a show of power."

"I prefer politicians," Seto muttered, his tone disgusted.

"That's saying a lot," Yori said. "I'd rather avoid them both."

"Well, that _would_ be the ideal option."

Mokuba was glad they could still talk. He was afraid he'd try to strangle someone who wasn't actually there if he had to watch what was happening in silence.

"They didn't actually burn you, did they Yori?" he asked slowly.

At that moment, the two goons forced younger Yori to her knees. The leader lit the lighter again and brought it close to her face. Mokuba saw terror reflected along with the dancing flame in the girl's clear eyes. He started to take a step forward and then stopped, remembering that he couldn't do anything in a memory.

"Sure will be a shame to lose sight in one of those pretty eyes now, won't it?" the leader sneered.

It finally seemed too much for the girl and she screamed, jerking her head away from the lighter. At the same moment, the golden band around her wrist flared with brilliant crimson light and the gang members let out startled exclamations. She jerked herself to her feet, falling backwards on the cronies as they tried to keep a grip on her. She slammed her elbow into Nao's face and Mokuba heard a loud crack followed by a howl of pain. Then she rolled away and stumbled to her feet, taking off at a dead run.

The surroundings melted to black around them and the teens faded out of sight. Another door appeared in their place, waiting to be opened.

"That's as far as my memory serves me," Yori said quietly. "I think my bracelet messes with it somehow. I know I made it to where I was staying though and I left town the next morning. That's when it comes back."

"Please don't tell me you expect me to believe your bracelet is magic and allowed you to escape," Seto said sarcastically.

Mokuba glared at him. Yori could have been hurt really badly and the only comment his brother could make was an insensitive one.

"Oh, but my bracelet _is_ magical, Kaiba," Yori said, her mysterious tone almost identical to the one Ishizu used whenever she opened her mouth. "It allows me to annoy you and shine bright light in the eyes of my enemies. Surely, I will twist the threads of destiny with it and dominate the world."

Mokuba giggled as Seto snorted. Yori sighed.

"Seriously though, Kai," she said, shifting her weight slightly, "I don't know much about my bracelet at all; I just know it's not normal. Do you have any jewelry that lights up in response to your emotions? And . . . other things. . . ."

"I hope he doesn't have any jewelry at all!" Mokuba said playfully.

Yori glanced at him and gave a small laugh. "Actually, that is true. Well, Kai?"

"Yuck," Seto said flatly.

Mokuba and Yori both laughed. Seto shook his head and brushed past both of them, opening the door. They were all used to the light and simply waited, looking around when it cleared.

"Back in the forest," Yori said, clicking her tongue.

"Your ability to state the obvious is awe-inspiring," Seto responded.

"Why thank you," Yori said, giving him a sweeping bow. "Should I also point out that we've wasted a day in this kid's world and that it's sunset?"

Mokuba looked around, sheepish that he actually hadn't noticed that one. It _was_ getting darker.

"You could, but it might darken my mood," Seto said, his face blank.

"Oh dear, better the unnoticed sky than your mood," Yori said, holding up her hands. "You never heard anything."

Seto smirked and Mokuba laughed.

"Well, stumbling around in the dark doesn't appeal to me very much," Yori said, brushing her hair away from her face.

"I guess we should just camp out here until morning," Mokuba said, wrinkling his nose at the idea. He didn't want to spend any more time in Noah's virtual reality world than was needed.

Apparently, his brother didn't either because he sighed.

Yori stretched and then sat down, her back against a tree trunk. She looked up at them with a wry smile.

"So, know any good ghost stories?"

* * *

"Well, this is absolutely pointless."

The words were said by Duke of course, for about the eight-hundredth time.

Tristan growled. "As I've said before: if you have a better idea, spit it out. Until then, I'm going to keep moving."

They'd been walking across an endless grass plain ever since finding Serenity. (Tristan's clothes had dried out as they travelled.) There was a forest to their left but they had opted for the open route, so they could see if anyone (or anything) was around. Of course, Duke had been complaining the entire way. Tristan was longing for something to happen too but, seriously, Duke was pushing it to the limit.

"The sun's going down, guys," Serenity said, shading her eyes to look at the horizon. "How are we going to find anyone in the dark?"

"Since we haven't had any luck in broad daylight, I'm going to say 'we aren't'," Duke said.

Tristan sighed. "Would it kill you to be even a tiny bit positive? At least we haven't run into any members of the Big Five."

"I'd almost be glad to," Duke said flatly. "At least I could win the duel and the way out."

"You're nuts," Tristan said.

"Why do you say that, Tristan?" Serenity asked, her tone curious. "You could duel circles around any of the Big Five too!"

Duke scoffed. "Are you kidding? I don't think Tristan's ever even dueled before."

Tristan froze, suddenly remembering a very bad thing he'd done not too long ago. . . .

"Oh no," Serenity said, shaking her head. "Tristan's an expert duelist. He taught my brother everything he knows. Right, Tristan?"

He just barely kept himself from groaning. When he had visited Serenity in the hospital, he had told her a few . . . white lies, because he wanted to impress her. He didn't think he would ever have to make good on them!

Duke raised an eyebrow at him, managing to look disapproving while also incredulous. "What other lies have you been tricking this poor girl into believing?"

"You're one to talk about lies," Tristan said hotly, flushing in a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

Duke actually had the grace to look guilty. He opened his mouth to say something but Serenity stepped between them.

"Please don't fight, guys," she begged.

The two glared daggers at each other but backed off. Serenity didn't say anything about lies but Tristan wondered how she felt about him now.

"I guess we'd better find somewhere to stop for the night," he said grudgingly.

"Why look?" Duke snorted. "Everything around us is the exact same. We're stuck in a virtual world made by an uncreative brat."

"Do you think we could find any dead wood in the forest to make a fire with?" Tristan wondered aloud, peering into the wooded gloom. "It might get cold."

"Yeah, and what are you gonna light it with, city-boy?" Duke asked derisively. "Oh wait, I forgot. Even a flamethrower wouldn't do you any good since the wood would be _virtual_."

Tristan cursed, unable to stand it any longer. "You are such a _pain!_"

"You're the pain; you don't know a thing about virtual technology!"

"Oh and you do, dicey? So far, out of both of us, I'm the only one who's gotten us anywhere. _You _said it would be impossible to break through that wall, remember?"

"Stop it!" Serenity shouted.

Tristan couldn't help noticing that she always jumped in before Duke responded. Almost like defending him.

"This is pointless, guys," she said quietly. "We're all scared and it's hard to not know what's happening with everyone else and to be alone, but fighting won't help anything. We have to support each other because, at the moment, we're all we've got."

Did she _have_ to say it with those watery, sincere brown eyes and the earnest, pleading look?

Tristan glanced at Duke. The other teen avoided his eyes. Grudgingly, Tristan forced himself to take a deep breath.

"I agree, Serenity," he said. Then, forcing himself not to clench his teeth, he said, "Sorry, Duke."

This time Duke looked at him, with a very scornful expression that said 'yeah, you agree and you're about as sorry as I am'. Of course, that wasn't what he actually said in response.

"It's okay, Tristan; I'm just stressed." His voice was smooth and apologetic, a practiced tone he probably used daily. "I'm sorry I took it out on you."

Oh, very nicely executed, dice-brain.

Serenity smiled at them. "Thanks, guys." She looked around them as the light faded more by the minute. "Should we just stop here for the night?"

"Sure," Tristan said, forcing his voice to be relaxed even as he wanted to sock Duke in the jaw.

This was going to be a very long night.

* * *

_Authoress's Note: Is anyone else totally stressed out right now? Maybe it's just me. Anyway, I'm still on time! Yes! I hope you enjoyed, please ask any questions you have. Next update is **May 30th**. Sayonara!_


	10. Chapter 10: Surprises

_Chapter 10: Surprises_

_I'm falling apart.__  
I'm barely breathing,__  
With a broken heart__  
That's still beating._

_In the pain__  
There is –_

Krisalyn blinked at her ringtone and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. She flipped it open, interrupting the song.

"Hello?"

"Hallo Krisalyn," a very familiar voice said.

"Mother!" she said, leaping to her feet in shock, sending her chair crashing to the floor in the process.

"I do hope no one was in the room to witness that," her mother said disapprovingly. "It sounded like quite the display. Fix whatever you knocked over."

Krisalyn's face fell back into the set mask she was used to as she grabbed the top of her computer chair and stood it upright once more. She waited in silence.

"How is your brother?" her mother asked after a moment.

"Fine," Krisalyn said coolly.

"When did you last speak to him?"

She couldn't help the small feeling of smug satisfaction that her brother asked her for help and didn't tell their mother anything. Didn't even call her.

"Earlier today," she said, running her fingernails over the control panel absently, tracing out an invisible pattern.

"What about the other one?"

Her fingers stilled and curled in towards her palm. It was funny how that was all he was ever referred to as – the other one.

"Well?" her mother snapped after a moment.

"Hate to cut this short, Mother, but I'm afraid my battery is dying," Krisalyn said, sliding into her chair again. "I just plain forgot to charge it – silly me."

A snarl echoed in her ear. "Krisalyn don't you dare hang–"

"You wouldn't want me to betray your dear son now, would you?" Krisalyn said smoothly, interrupting her. "That's good; I'm glad we understand one another. I'm sure someone else will make a lovely little spy for you, don't worry. I'll call you after I charge my phone."

She snapped the phone shut and set it on the control panel. She let her guard down for a few moments, releasing a sigh. Her mother was definitely not going to be happy about that later. At least it had been over the phone – it was a shame you couldn't hang up on people when they confronted you face to face.

_I'm falling apart.__  
I'm barely breathing,__  
With a br–_

"Only one way to really keep the witch away, isn't there?" Krisalyn said aloud, reaching for her phone again. With a snap, she pulled the battery out, stopping the ringtone instantly.

"Oopsie, my bad," she said, setting the two pieces on top of her bag. It wasn't like anyone important needed to call her anyway so living without her cell phone for a while wouldn't be a sacrifice. In fact, this wasn't the first time she had pulled out the battery to get away from things. Sometimes she wished she could just crush the device completely and block out the world.

Too bad things weren't that simple.

The screen in front of her flickered and she sat up instantly, clearing her face of expression. Noah came into focus a beat later.

"There's an intruder in the virtual world."

Krisalyn blinked. Whatever she had expected to hear, that hadn't been on the list.

"There hasn't been a break-in and the virtual room is sealed," she said slowly.

He scowled. "Don't you think I know that? I know you would have alerted me. But there is an intruder nonetheless."

She wondered what the easiest way to break the news that it was impossible would be.

Before she had a chance to even open her mouth though, he snapped, "Don't say it. This is _my_ world; I can feel that there's someone else here!"

"You put up a convincing argument," she said, pulling herself up to a comfortable position in front of the keyboard. She may not have trusted Noah on everything but she could tell he wasn't lying now. "What do you want me to do?"

"Forget the control room. Everything's in place for tonight," he said. "I want you actually in the world. Help me find this freak; I'll pin him down so you can kick him out of the system."

Inwardly, she stiffened, remembering her earlier experience of entering the virtual realm. She would prefer to let Kaiba and his friend go through whatever while she sat in a completely different dimension from them. Otherwise she might be too tempted to mess with Noah's plan and start pulling a few strings of her own.

To put it lightly, she hadn't thought much of first impressions for either Kaiba or Yori.

"You have five minutes," Noah said, disappearing.

She let out a small sigh. He was obviously angry and she didn't blame him. There was really no help for it – she'd just have to enter the world a second time.

But that didn't mean she had to go anywhere near Kaiba.

She stood up and headed towards the virtual room.

* * *

Kaiba had to admit, Yori could tell a great ghost story.

He hadn't thought her suggestion was serious but it apparently had been because she had volunteered a story of her own when no one spoke up. Kaiba had been disinterested at first (ghost stories were almost as bad as Egyptian fairy tales, the only good point being that they usually involved dying instead of destiny) but as the story continued, he couldn't help but get more intrigued.

It didn't help any that his brother was completely engrossed in it either.

"_Nobody_ noticed the time coincidence?" Mokuba said, wide-eyed. Kaiba had given his younger brother his trench coat and the raven-haired boy had it wrapped around his shoulders tightly, leaning forward towards Yori as he spoke.

Yori shook her head. "Nobody suspected the man. He was much too good – just one of those people you can't help but like."

Just like you, Kaiba thought. Then he froze and shoved the thought away. He didn't really like Yori; he was just stuck with her.

_You_ invited _her_ along, a little voice in his head said.

He growled silently. It doesn't mean anything; it was just polite.

Since when are you polite?

Since when have I had this Jiminy Cricket conscience poking around in my head?

You offered her a job.

Yeah, like working for Kaiba Corp is such a rare thing.

You haven't ever personally, genuinely invited anyone to work for you before.

I don't usually get stuck in virtual worlds with potential employees.

You don't hate having her around.

. . . Why am I engaging in this argument?

"Seto?"

Kaiba blinked. His younger brother was staring at him.

"What?" he said defensively.

"You were zoning out, Kai," Yori said. "But your expression kept changing."

What was he supposed to say to that? 'I was having an argument with my inner cricket?' He could just imagine Yori nodding when she heard that and then saying, quirking one eyebrow like she did so often, 'Were you losing?'

No. He stayed with the safe reply of a shrug.

"Thinking about the story?" Mokuba asked curiously.

Sure. That was a safe response. He nodded.

Mokuba's eyes immediately lit up even though he shivered. "It was crazy, right? I mean, with the guy's body disappearing without a trace and all and the only evidence was that stain. Eeew and those wine bottles. I can't believe that guy tried one! That's so gross!"

Kaiba blinked as he realized that he had missed the entire climax and ending of the ghost story; he didn't have a clue what his younger brother was talking about.

"So, what do you think, Kai?" Yori asked. He turned to look at her and she smirked, folding her arms behind her head. "Was the guy a ghost, vampire, human, or none of the above?"

She knew. Completely. He could see it dancing in her violet eyes in the fading light. She knew he hadn't been thinking about the story – hadn't even heard it.

Crap.

Flatly, he said, "There's no such thing as ghosts or vampires."

She raised an eyebrow. "What about none of the above?"

". . . Think maybe he was Bigfoot?" he asked sarcastically.

She sighed dramatically. "So close-minded." He could see the smile she was fighting back though.

"Seriously though," Mokuba said, rubbing his arms. "How did he just . . . disappear like that after they killed him?"

"Any theories, Kai?"

"Ghost stories are all made up," he said, readjusting his sitting position. "What's the point of having theories on something that didn't actually happen? Since it's all fake you could say he turned into a Blue Eyes and flew away."

"Fair enough," Yori said. He expected her to call him on not having any theories because he hadn't listened to the story, but she didn't. She didn't even press him about what he had really been thinking about.

You don't hate having her around, the little voice repeated.

Kaiba wondered if it was appropriate to tell himself to shut up.

Mokuba yawned suddenly, smiling sheepishly when Kaiba and Yori looked at him.

"It's been a long day," he said, his tone apologetic.

"I agree," Yori said, a bit of irony in her smile. "Time for . . . there aren't exactly beds here. What would you call this time for?"

"Virtual grass?" Kaiba suggested, stretching out.

"Very original, Kai. I love it."

"I try."

She grinned. "Time for V.G. then."

"That sounds like 'veggie'," Mokuba said, giggling.

"Even better, Moki. It's a coded code-term."

Kaiba rolled his eyes as Mokuba and Yori said, "Time for veggie!" in unison.

"Oh!" Mokuba said, pointing at Yori. "Jinx! Now you owe me a soda."

She blinked and then laughed. "Okay. When I come play video games with you, I'll bring the sodas."

Mokuba grinned and scooted back so he was next to Kaiba. Kaiba glanced at him and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, then he looked up at the sky.

"Goodnight, Yori!" Mokuba said. "'Night, Seto."

"'Night, Moki," Yori said, a smile in her voice. Kaiba wondered how she accomplished that.

He said, "Hmm."

Mokuba giggled and curled up in the grass next to him, covering himself with the trench coat and propping his head up on an arm. Within ten minutes, his breathing evened out and Kaiba saw him relax completely out of the corner of his eye. That was when Kaiba finally let himself relax, the back of his head resting on one arm while the other lay at his side. His eyes slipped closed.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Yugi and Téa finally stopped to catch their breath after they couldn't hear Krump's shouts anymore. They were both gasping and Téa was kind of swaying where she stood. Worried, Yugi stepped forward and put a hand on her arm to steady her. That was when he realized he was still holding her other hand from when he'd grabbed it to start running. As much as he tried to avoid it, he felt a blush slowly creeping up his neck.

"That was . . . brilliant . . . Yugi. . . ." Téa panted, smiling at him.

"Yami's idea. . . ." Yugi said modestly, still fighting his blush.

Téa took a deep breath and looked around. "Now . . . what?"

Since she looked like she was balancing fine, Yugi released her arm and hand, stepping back. He looked around but the trees all looked the same. He shrugged.

"We don't have very much control here; it's all up to Noah," he said. "About all we can do is walk."

Téa looked down at her now empty hand for a moment but then quickly looked up.

"Okay," she said simply. Yugi led the way and they started moving again, keeping an eye out for any Big Five members. They filled each other in with a few details of what had happened since being in the hanger (Yugi wanted to kill a few monsters as Téa told him her story about almost being dinner). Then they fell into a comfortable silence.

"So is the Pharaoh here?" Téa asked after a few minutes.

Yugi paused and then shook his head. "He's in the puzzle."

"Oh. Where's Yori?"

Yugi sighed. "I wish I knew."

He saw Téa's hand move out of the corner of his eye, like she was going to touch his shoulder, but then it fell.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. Then, her tone determined, she added, "Don't worry; we'll fine her."

He smiled up at her. "Thanks, Téa."

She nodded. After another pause she said slowly, "Yugi . . . thanks for saving me." She looked away and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I . . . I was worried. . . ."

Even though she had trailed off, he knew what she meant.

"Don't worry, the Big Five aren't getting any of us," he said firmly. "When we're all together again we'll find a way out."

She smiled at him and nodded.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them opened up. Yugi fell through with a startled cry, hearing the same from Téa.

The fall was short and he landed heavily on his back, his breath leaving him. Wincing, he blinked and sat up, trying to figure out where he was.

Then, a voice behind him said, "Téa? Yug?!"

* * *

_Authoress's Note: Krisalyn's ringtone does not belong to me (same as Yu-Gi-Oh!, sadly). It's a song called 'Broken' by Lifehouse (It's amazing by the way, I encourage you all to go listen to it.). I'M SO EXCITED FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER! Hehe, something big is gonna happen. Hope you enjoyed this, can't wait to see you all again in a week on **June 6th**!_


	11. Chapter 11: Panic

_Chapter 11: Panic_

Joey blinked, wondering if his eyes were trustworthy. If they were, then Yugi and Téa had just fallen through the ceiling to land in the middle of the duel he was still fighting with Johnson.

Incredulously, he said, "Téa? Yug?!"

Yugi turned at his voice and blinked as well. "Joey?"

"What're you doing here?" Joey asked, hastily adding, "Not that I ain't glad to see ya!"

Yugi got to his feet, quickly helping Téa up as well.

"Beats me," he said. "We were in the middle of a forest a minute ago."

Téa nodded her agreement, looking like she was still getting her bearings.

"How kind of Noah," Johnson said, speaking up for the first time. He chuckled at some joke only he could see.

Joey narrowed his eyes. "Whadd'ya mean, Johnson?"

"He must have sent your little friends here so that they could watch your demise as you receive the guilty verdict, Joseph."

Joey wasn't quite sure what 'demise' meant, but he certainly caught what Johnson meant by 'guilty verdict'. He growled.

"Are you on trial, Joey?" Téa asked, blinking.

"Nah, I'm just dueling rich-boy's old lawyer," Joey said. "And I'm about to wipe the courtroom floor with him."

"Well, the first part of that is true at least," Johnson said, an annoying smile on his face. "Now, you two had better get off the dueling floor or else I'll have you ejected from the courtroom."

Yugi frowned but moved off to watch the duel from the sidelines, Téa following him. Joey sighed and waited for Johnson to make his move. Just moments before Téa and Yugi had arrived, Joey had played a trap card face down and ended his turn since he had no monsters either on the field or in his hand to play. Johnson had one face down card, one defense monster, and had just drawn a card to start his turn.

"I summon Curtain of the Dark Ones," Johnson said, laying the card on his duel disk.

Joey rolled his eyes as he saw the measly 600 attack points the monster had. "_Very_ impressive."

"It will be in a moment, Joseph," Johnson said, his tone pleasant. "I activate my face down card: Polymerization."

His new monster and defensive Mystical Elf fused together. Joey's hand hovered over a button on his duel disk, waiting to activate his trap as soon as the new monster was formed.

To his dismay, Johnson's creation only had 1300 attack points – the trap required monsters to have 1500 or more. On top of that, Johnson played one more card which allowed his monster to attack in the same turn it was formed.

Joey winced as the monster's attack brought his life points down to 1200.

Johnson chuckled. "Feeling the pressure, Joseph? Thanks to the Sinister Justice card, I not only get to attack you this turn but I also get to raise my life points by 800 for every attack. That brings me back up to 1000."

Joey growled. He'd been so close. In the minutes since the duel started, he had been able to drop Johnson's life points to 200 more quickly than he had expected. Too quickly. He should have known it had been too easy.

"You've had this planned," Joey accused.

"Of course," Johnson replied. He slid another card into place. "One more face down card does it for me. Your fate is sealed."

Joey snatched the top card off his deck and looked at it. He slid it into place.

"I play Scapegoats," he said as the four furry creatures appeared before him.

"Joey, why don't you attack him with your Flame Swordsman?" Yugi asked, frowning.

Joey blinked. "He's not in play, Yug."

Yugi's frown turned confused. "But he's standing right there."

"It appears your friends aren't familiar with the new deck master rule yet," Johnson said, sounding bored. "They'll find out when they duel my associates. Now, is that the end of your turn?"

Yugi looked like he wanted to ask more but he refrained. Joey shook his head at Johnson.

"Not quite, I've got one more card to play. It's called All or Nothing." He slid the card into play and snatched the coin that appeared out of the air.

"I'm unfamiliar with that card," Johnson said, frowning.

"I flip a coin and you call it," Joey explained. "If it's what you call, then my next turn gets skipped and you get to attack my life points directly. If it's not, then I get to choose any card from my deck to automatically summon to the field."

Johnson smirked. "A gamble. You realize that this literally decides how the duel ends since your life points are so low, right? Are you willing to risk it, Joseph?"

Joey held his fist up with a grin, the coin balanced on his thumb. Gambles were his specialty. "Call it."

Without hesitation, Johnson said, "Heads."

Joey flicked the coin in the air and grabbed it again, slapping it down on the railing in front of him. He slowly moved his hand and looked at the result, horrified when he saw.

"Oh no!" he heard Téa say from the sidelines.

"Joey!" Yugi gasped.

"From your response, it looks like I have a free attack," Johnson said, his tone smug. "So I'll have my. . . ."

He trailed off as the courtroom was filled with a greenish-white light. Joey looked at the source, squinting. He could just barely make out a figure.

The light cleared an instant later to reveal Noah standing at the far side of the courtroom, arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

"This duel stops now," he said briskly.

"Noah, no!" Johnson protested. "This attack is going to wipe out the rest of his life points – I won!"

"No, you cheated," Noah said, his tone flat.

"Neh?" Joey said, cocking his head to the side.

"That coin toss was tampered with," Noah said. "Johnson, your bad actions reflect poorly on me as your employer so I'm officially ending this duel. You won't get another chance either."

Even on the Judge Man's twisted face, Joey could tell Johnson's expression was one of horror. Thinking about his options, Joey spoke up.

"Hey Noah, I ain't ever quit a duel in my life before; I don't wanna start now."

Noah raised an eyebrow at him. "You're welcome to lose if you want to. I have something more pressing that needs my attention."

Joey shook his head. "That ain't what I mean. Let me re-do the coin toss and continue the duel without him cheating. I want to finish a fair fight."

Noah paused for only a moment. What he had said was obviously true – his expression clearly said that even as he stood before them he was distracted. Probably busy tormenting Kaiba, Joey thought. The idea didn't bother him too much.

"Alright," Noah said. "It means nothing to me. The stakes remain the same."

He waved a hand and the coin disappeared and reappeared, hovering, waiting for Joey to take it. Then Noah himself disappeared. Joey took the coin and tossed it once lightly before putting it back into position on his thumb. He could feel moisture beading on his palms but he forced himself to remain calm. He grinned again.

"Okay ya cheat," he said, holding his fist up once more. "Call it again – fair this time."

Johnson scowled. "It doesn't matter; you'll lose anyway. I call heads again."

Out of the corner of his eye, Joey saw Yugi and Téa both start to say something but they both glanced at him and fell silent. Joey gave them a confident wink and flipped the coin in the air.

Come on, he thought. He grabbed it and brought it down on the back of his hand this time, willing it to be tails. Taking a deep breath, he moved his hand – and cheered.

"Awww yeah, man!" he said, displaying the tails-up coin. Johnson glared at him but said nothing. Yugi and Téa cheered.

Joey grabbed his deck and flipped through it until he found the card he wanted, then he reshuffled and replaced his deck.

"This is the end, Johnson," he said. "I play my Red Eyes Black Dragon!"

The dragon appeared in the courtroom with a roar, its crimson eyes fixed on Johnson's fusion monster.

"That's not all though," Joey said, grinning. "Now I'll move my deck master to the field." As Flame Swordsman stepped forward, Joey said, "Hey Swordsman, can ya fuse with normal monsters?"

"Of course," Flame Swordsman said with a nod.

Yugi and Téa's twin gasps just made Joey's grin widen. "Alright then, let's do this. I'll use Polymerization to fuse Red Eyes and Flame Swordsman into Flaming Dragon!"

The shining red-orange dragon formed on the field and snorted flames at Johnson, making Yugi laugh. Joey felt like his grin was going to split his face. He was with his friends again, his body was securely his, and he was about to barbeque the guy who had insulted Mai.

"I'll also play a Quick Attack card ta' free up my monster. Wipe him out, Flaming Dragon!" he shouted, pointing at the attorney.

His dragon attacked and Johnson cried out, his life points scrolling to zero. The Big Five member disappeared, as did the other cards in the duel. Joey exhaled loudly and jumped off the stand thing he was on, jogging over to Téa and Yugi. He gave Yugi an I-missed-you-but-I'm-a-guy-so-instead-of-saying-it-I'll-do-this-instead noogie and grinned at Téa.

"Took you guys long enough to show up," he said.

Yugi grinned at him, brushing at his now-mussed hair. "It's good to see you too, Joey."

"Where's everyone else?"

Yugi sighed. "We don't know. You're the first person we've found – besides each other of course."

Joey paused only a moment before he spun and pointed at the door. "Alright then, let's find those other slackers!"

Téa and Yugi laughed; they all left the courtroom together, Joey leading the way. However, outside they were met with another obstacle.

"Aw man! What's up with this timing?! It's pitch black out here!"

"No kidding," Yugi said.

Joey strained his eyes in the moonlight but all he could tell was that they were out in the open night. Maybe a field of some sort? He could see a huge blotch not far away that was probably a forest or something.

"I guess we have to stop for the night," Téa said, sounding reluctant. "We can't walk in this."

Joey groaned and plopped down Indian style in the grass, leaning back against the building. He tore up a few grass stalks with his hand absently and tossed them forward.

"I really gotta find Serenity. . . ." he said quietly. "She doesn't even know how to duel. . . ."

"Don't worry Joey," Yugi said, sitting next to him. "Duke and Tristan will take care of her."

Joey sighed and nodded. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Téa sit next to Yugi.

"There's no use worrying about it," she said. "We just have to wait for it to be light again."

Not worry about his little sister? Joey sighed again.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Yori sat silently for hours as the red-orange sky darkened to black and the moon rose, feeling the rough bark of the tree press into her back. Sleep was pretty far off with everything that was running circles through her mind. She absently looked for patterns in the stars but her thoughts were really on Yami and Yugi. Worrying did no good, she knew that, but she did it all the same.

"Yori?"

Yori blinked and turned to see Mokuba looking at her. There was something like pain in his eyes and she immediately beckoned him over.

"What's wrong Moki?" she asked as he sat next to her. "I thought you were asleep."

He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.

"I had a nightmare," he said quietly. "I know it's childish and not real, but–"

He didn't get any farther before she interrupted him. "Nightmares happen to everyone and even if we know they're not real that doesn't mean we can just forget them like we want to."

He nodded slowly, sniffing once. She hesitated. Telling him that last bit had been easy since she had nightmares too – but comforting him altogether was a bit harder. No one had ever really turned to her for advice or comfort before.

Finally, she said softly, "Do you want to talk about it?"

He hesitated for a second and then put his chin on his knees and replied, "It was about this one time . . . during Pegasus's Duelist Kingdom tournament. Seto left – he was obsessed with defeating Yugi ever since Yugi beat him in that duel. I told him not to go but he wouldn't listen! That's when I found out Pegasus was trying to take over Kaiba Corp. and before I could warn Seto, Pegasus kidnapped me. While I was in his dungeon I . . . I was so sure Seto would come at first but after a while I wondered if he would. He had barely said two words to me since he lost and . . . ."

He ducked his head away but not before Yori saw tears in his eyes. Obviously whatever he had left hanging was as unpleasant as the rest of his thought process had been.

Yori had been independent and alone almost all of her life but she was glad she had never felt really abandoned. With betrayed there was a definite line but if someone abandoned you there was always that chance that they might come back. To her, better to be betrayed and know where you stood than abandoned and unsure.

In a gentle movement, she slipped her arm around Mokuba's shoulders and hugged him.

"Don't worry, Moki," she said softly. "It's over now. He did come didn't he? Your brother loves you very much and he's never going to let anything happen to you, no matter what tries to get in his way."

Mokuba nodded but didn't look up. His shoulders were shaking ever so slightly and even though he was trying to hide it she knew he was crying. She racked her brain to try and think of the right thing to say. Instead of words, her mind offered her music.

Okay, she thought, that works too. Quietly, she sang the chorus to a barely remembered song.

"_I promise you,__  
All my life:_

_Whenever the road is too long,  
Whenever the wind is too strong,  
Wherever this journey may lead to,  
I will be there for you. . . ."_

Mokuba slowly looked up at her, confusion and surprise in his eyes.

"I didn't know you sang," he mumbled.

She smiled at him. "I do. That song isn't very well known but I'm sure it's how your brother feels about you."

His eyes widened and a shy smile started on his face.

"Do you really think so?" he asked hesitantly.

She flicked his forehead gently. "Positive. He's pretty attached to you."

Mokuba's smile spread and, to her surprise, he wrapped both arms around her and gave her a tight hug. "Thanks, Yori."

She couldn't help a return smile, hugging him back briefly.

"Anytime, Moki," she replied.

He got up and moved back to where Kaiba was sleeping. Without a word he lay down next to him and curled up, pulling Kaiba's trench coat over him again. Within minutes he was asleep once again. Yori shook her head and went back to looking at the sky, her own worries returning.

About fifteen minutes later, Kaiba spoke.

"You can't possibly think I'm that soft, can you?" he said, trying to sound cool as always.

One corner of her mouth turned up in amusement. "Certainly not on the outside." He was silent and she added, "You could have said you were awake."

"I didn't want to interrupt."

She looked over at him in surprise. He was watching her and although his usual unreadable expression was on his face there was something else in his eyes. Gratitude? From Seto Kaiba? Impossible.

"Well, it might have been better for you to talk to him," she said, trying to sound casual. "I don't know very much about siblings."

He rolled his eyes. "Please, Yori; you have a younger brother too."

She shook her head. "But I haven't even known him a week." She paused for a beat and then amended, "Well, actually, I think it's finally been a week."

He sat up slightly in surprise and said, "You're kidding. That can't be possible."

She was about to retort sarcastically but then realized that Kaiba didn't know the truth. The only people she'd told about her past were Yami and Yugi. Even the rest of the gang didn't know the whole story.

The question was, was she willing to tell him?

Guardedly, she said, "It's a long story."

He frowned and opened his mouth to say something else when suddenly they both heard something off to the right. Yori was on her feet in a second, a hand on her back pocket despite not having a switchblade to grab.

Then the most unexpected thing happened – a figure dressed completely in white entered their little clearing, staring directly at Yori.

"Shadi?" she gasped.

"Your Egyptian stalker?" Kaiba asked. She saw him raise an eyebrow out of the corner of her eye.

Before she could reply, Shadi strode forward, one hand extended to her.

"Quickly," he said. "We haven't much time."

"Slow down there, turban top," Yori said, taking a step back so her back was pressed against the tree again. "What's going on?"

Her question was echoed by a sleepy Mokuba as he slowly sat up. Shadi glanced between all three of the people in the clearing before bringing his blue eyes back to meet Yori's.

"Your bracelet," he said. "I must have it now, before something terrible occurs."

"You came here to steal jewelry under the pretense of another Egyptian Fairy Tale?" Kaiba scoffed. "Get out of here, freak."

Yori paused though. Shadi actually looked panicked – he never showed emotion.

"What will happen?" she asked slowly.

Kaiba rolled his eyes and looked away. Shadi shook his head.

"I am not certain; I only suspect. Please, I must see your bracelet."

Well, it's not working anyway, so what's the harm? Despite her thought though, as soon as Yori slid it off her wrist, she felt naked. Trying to shake the feeling, she held the Millennium Item out to the Egyptian. Shadi reached out to take it but his hand passed right through it. Yori blinked.

"This is unfortunate," Shadi said, lowering his arm. "I fear we have no time to do anything now."

"What's going on?" Yori demanded, unsure of whether she should put her bracelet back on or not. Even weird people like Shadi were not supposed to be able to just wave their hand through gold jewelry.

"You are not in possession of the Millennium Bracelet," Shadi said.

"What do you mean? She's holding it," Mokuba said, standing up, Kaiba's trench coat still wrapped around his shoulders.

"That is merely a copy your mind has made because you are used to never being without it," Shadi said, pulling his ignoring trick with his attention solely on Yori. "When you entered this virtual world the real item must have been taken from you."

"I'm having trouble believing this. . . ." Yori said slowly, running one finger over her bracelet absently.

"Then know for yourself," he said. "Have you been able to use any of the bracelet's powers since you entered the virtual world?"

"Oh please," Kaiba muttered. Yori, however, shook her head, her eyes widening.

"It is a fake," Shadi said grimly.

As soon as she looked down at the bracelet, thinking that it actually _was_ a fake, the item dissolved between Yori's fingers. She tried not to let it show how much that actually scared her.

"So what's going to happen because I don't have my item?" she asked, running her tongue over her dry lips.

Suddenly, a thundering roar sounded in the forest behind her, vibrating the air against Yori's skin and raising the hair on her arms and neck.

"I fear . . ." Shadi said, "that it has already happened."

* * *

_Authoress's Note: CLIFFHANGER! Hehe, remember everyone, I do love you. I just love cliffhangers too. :D The song used in this chapter belongs to Jessica Andrews and is called "I Will Be There for You". It's very cute; I love it. Hope you enjoyed the chapter despite the cliffie! See you all again next Saturday--**June 13th**!_

_PS: THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR OVER 100 REVIEWS!!! WOOT! YOU GUYS ROCK!!!_


	12. Chapter 12: What Comes in the Night

_Chapter 12: What Comes in the Night_

Yami was restless. He felt like something was happening—like there was somewhere he should be. Calling out to Yori did no good, he knew, but he tried it again anyway. The silence didn't surprise him, but it didn't help either.

With a frustrated sigh, he appeared outside the puzzle. The moonlight was just enough to see by and Yugi, Joey, and Téa were asleep at his feet. He paused to smile gently when he saw that Yugi and Téa had fallen asleep leaning on each other ever so slightly.

Joey was just sprawled out there. Yami wondered how he could possibly be comfortable in that position.

Looking around, Yami could see nothing out of place. Of course, he wasn't sure if _anything_ was 'in place' in this virtual world.

"Yori, where are you?" he whispered. The darkness made no response and he sighed again. He turned, about to return to the puzzle and attempt to push it from his mind.

That was when he heard it. He flipped around to stare into the night as a roar echoed through the air. He could almost feel the sound.

It was close.

Making a spur-of-the-moment decision, Yami turned around and kneeled in front of Yugi. Touching the boy's forehead, he closed his eyes.

"Sorry Yugi," he murmured.

Then he switched places with the sleeping teen. Opening his eyes again, he slid away from Téa as carefully as possible and slipped the Millennium Puzzle off his neck. He placed it in the girl's lap and turned to face where the sound had come from again. Without a second thought, he took off running.

* * *

Tristan stood with his back to their group's decided campsite (if you could call it that). As he watched the stars, he didn't hear Serenity approach until she touched his shoulder gently. He jumped and spun to face her, smiling sheepishly when she giggled.

"Can't sleep?" she said.

"Yeah," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "I can't get comfortable thinking that. . . ."

He trailed off. He'd been about to say 'thinking that Noah or the Big Five could appear out of nowhere' but he didn't want to freak her out.

"It's okay," she said. "I understand; it's the same for me too."

"Oh," he said, slightly uncomfortable. He didn't quite know what to say.

"It's okay though," she said, smiling at him. "We'll be fine as long as we stay together."

He couldn't help smiling back. Her positive attitude helped sooth his nerves a little.

But then his conscience had to go and speak up. He looked away.

"Tristan?" she said, her tone curious.

He couldn't just stay silent.

"I'm sorry I lied . . ." he mumbled, feeling his face heat up, "about the dueling thing. . . ."

She was quiet for a minute and then she finally said, "Why did you?"

He was sure his face now looked like a beet and was glad there was barely any light to see by.

"I . . . was trying to . . . impress . . . you," he admitted, his mumble even lower than before.

She giggled as soon as he finished. Offended, he looked up at her. She stepped forward and gave him a quick hug unexpectedly, making him blush for a different reason.

"You don't need to_ try_ to impress me, silly," she said, stepping back and smiling at him. "You already do."

He blinked. "H-huh?"

"You're an amazing guy, Tristan," she said. "You don't have to lie to prove that."

Tristan was totally speechless. He fumbled for something to say and failed miserably, merely opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water. Serenity giggled again and turned back to the small camping spot.

"Come on," she said. "We all need our rest."

He nodded and took a step forward, his face still red hot. Then, something behind him froze him in his tracks. He turned his head, searching for the source of the goosebump-raising roar.

"What was that?" Serenity asked, her voice suddenly laced with a trickle of fear.

"I don't know. . . ." Tristan said slowly. He stepped back until he was next to the sleeping form of Duke (who was snoring), pulling Serenity with him. "I think it's best if we all stay as close together as possible."

She nodded, holding onto his arm. "I hope the others are okay. . . ."

"Yeah," he said grimly. "Me too."

* * *

Yori was far from okay. All her senses were alert and every muscle in her body was tensed up.

"What was that?" Kaiba asked, slowly rising to his feet.

"It is as I feared," Shadi said. He brushed the Millennium Item that hung around his neck with a hand.

"More explanation," Yori said, facing where the roar had come from and standing her ground in a defensive pose. "_Now._"

For once, Shadi obeyed.

"The Millennium Items were created to protect Ancient Egypt," he said. "Along with the unique powers of each item they also assisted strong individuals with crossing dimensions in order to create the Death Duels – Shadow Games."

Shadow game. Yori flipped her head around to look at Shadi sharply.

"A shadow game," she said. "What is that?"

"In Ancient Egypt they were death games between two individuals to settle a dispute," Shadi said. His eyes were dark. "They involved two forms of summoning. One was summoning the power of the Shadow Realm and the other was summoning the monsters that fought the duel."

"How convenient—you have an Egyptian Fairy Tale version of dueling," Kaiba said.

"These death games decided the fate of people's very souls," Shadi said, turning an unreadable expression on Kaiba. "They are nothing to be taken lightly."

A tremor shivered through the ground beneath Yori's feet. She glanced down at it and then up at the dark forest. She could hear the sounds of something big moving through the trees.

"Shadi, tell me flat out," she said, her fingers trembling until she clenched her hands into fists. "What's going on?"

"I'm afraid this is at least partly my fault," he said with a small sigh. "I did not foresee the danger that could result from bringing all of the Millennium Items together into one place. I . . . am not certain, but my theory is that a few of the items that had been used a great deal over a short period of time reacted negatively with the unused Millennium Items, releasing excess energy – a kind of power surge. Instead of hitting an item holder, the power was channeled through another line of power."

"A line going where?" Yori said, her eyes locked ahead again as the sounds grew louder even though she couldn't see far in the dim moonlight.

Shadi was silent. Yori felt her mouth go dry.

"Shadi?" she said, her voice sharper than she had intended.

"I believe the power crossed from this dimension into the realm of monsters," Shadi said quietly. "The first item holders used the items for the purpose of bringing monsters into the real world quite frequently; even though they are no longer used in that way, the items still have the ability. It is only logical to think that the excess power could have been used to perform a well-known summons."

Yori froze. There was no way. . . .

Very slowly, she said, "Shadi . . . you think . . . my bracelet pulled monsters into the real world?"

"Virtual in this case, since this is where you—the item holder—are."

"This is ridiculous," she heard Kaiba mutter.

Yori turned to stare at the Egyptian. "So . . . there are real monsters?"

Shadi nodded gravely. "Pegasus created the game of Duel Monsters based on carvings that the Ancient Egyptians made to show their Shadow Games. The monsters are indeed very real in a world parallel to ours."

"That can't be true," Mokuba said, although Yori noticed that he sounded as uncertain as she felt. "Duel Monsters is just a made up game."

Another roar reverberated through the air, much closer this time. Yori felt her heartbeat speed up as she snapped her head around to stare at the forest again. Against her will, she stepped back a pace, bringing her just in front and to the left of Shadi. To her far right, Kaiba was glaring distrustfully into the trees, shielding Mokuba.

"I'm scared, Seto," Mokuba admitted quietly. "What monster do you think it is?"

"That's just Egyptian nonsense," Kaiba snapped. "All that's in those trees is another of Noah's cheap tricks."

"I hope you are right," Shadi said.

No one else uttered a word as the crashing sound got louder and louder. The ground now shuddered under Yori's feet constantly.

Just think of it as a gang, she thought. The only thing coming through those trees is another gang out for my blood. Don't get caught.

She took slow, deep breaths and forced her hands to be loose at her sides. She kept her knees slightly bent and stood with one foot farther back than the other for better balance. Her violet eyes were intense and locked on the trees, watching a growing shadow.

"Seto. . . ." she heard Mokuba say quietly, fear obvious in his tone.

Not an instant later, the trees in front of Yori groaned and some thick branches snapped under pressure with sounds like thunderbolts. She threw herself sideways towards Shadi just in time to miss one of the falling limbs. The ground jumped under her hands and knees and she scrambled to her feet again, looking to see what had pushed its way through the forest.

Her throat froze up, keeping her from even screaming.

Towering before her—at least four times her height—was a dragon. A real. Live. Dragon. It was a mixture of red and black and the black blended into the darkness around them while the red was barely visible.

Very visible though, were its crimson eyes. Crimson eyes that were surveying the clearing.

"R-red . . . eyes. . . .?" she whispered, her mouth completely dry and her voice hoarse.

"This is not that dragon," Shadi said quietly, a tremor present in even his calm tone. "This is one much more powerful."

The dragon's head dipped down smoothly, its eyes roaming over Kaiba and Mokuba to Shadi. It growled at Shadi, making the Egyptian take a step back.

'_State your branch.'_

Yori started at the voice in her head. It was a light baritone and resonated through her mind like the dragon's roar had through the air moments ago.

"Is it . . . ?" She couldn't even finish the sentence, her eyes wide.

"It is speaking," Shadi said, confirming her suspicion.

'_State your branch,'_ the voice repeated, more forcefully.

"Branch?" Shadi repeated.

Yori was glad someone was brave enough to talk to it. Or maybe Shadi was just stupid. Either way, she hoped he didn't pay for it in the end.

The dragon snorted, little trails of smoke rising from its—his, she realized—nostrils. _'Your branch of magic. Now. Why have you brought me here?'_

"This is insane," she heard Kaiba whisper, his voice barely audible.

"We are not magic users," Shadi said slowly, "and I assure you, we did not bring you here on purpose."

Yori barely even saw the dragon move before, suddenly, she felt her back being slammed into the ground. She gasped and heard Mokuba scream her name. Blinking to clear her vision, she looked up.

There was nothing actually holding her down but the dragon's clawed hand dug into the ground on either side of her. He didn't look at her, leaning down so his head was level with Shadi's.

'_I do not feel in the mood for games,'_ he said. _'You bear the form of humans and therefore must be magic users. State. Your. Branch.'_

Yori saw Shadi raise a hand to grip the Millennium Key around his neck, his fingers shaking slightly. The dragon's eyes travelled down to the item as well and as soon as they did, the key seemed to explode with pure white light.

The dragon let out something akin to a scream and jerked his head backwards, tail thrashing in the trees behind him. Feeling adrenaline flood her veins, Yori scrambled backwards until she was free of his claws.

"_RUN!_" she screamed, jerking herself to her feet and taking off. Spots dotted her vision from the sudden light but she could still see enough to run by.

Whatever else he might be, Kaiba was not slow. As Yori dodged between the trees to escape the dragon, she found Kaiba beside her in moments. He held Mokuba's arm firmly in one of his hands and was guiding his terrified brother.

"Kai!" Yori said, tugging on his sleeve and darting behind a tree. Kaiba followed her example and they stood in silence, listening to the crashing that was still constant in the clearing they had been in moments before.

Yori's breathing was heavy as she forced her fear down. "W-where's Shadi?"

"Back there."

Yori had never heard fear in Kaiba's voice before. He hid it well and she could barely tell it was there. Shaking her head in admiration, she tried to achieve the same level of calm in her own voice.

"I hope he knows what he's doing," she said. She peeked around the tree but all she saw was darkness. "Let's keep moving."

There was another roar behind them as they started running again. A few tears made their way onto Mokuba's cheeks but he kept going despite the fear, clinging to his brother. Yori squeezed his shoulder quickly, offering him encouragement.

Then the voice resonated through her mind again.

'_My patience has ended, magician.'_

Yori skidded to a stop, flipping around to stare back through the trees. Shadi. . . .

"Yori!" Kaiba shouted, already ahead of her. He paused in his steps as she turned to look at him. Mokuba looked at her as well, his tear-filled eyes pleading her to keep moving.

"Tarter sauce," Yori cursed under her breath. Raising her voice, she said, "Keep going; I'll find you in a minute!"

Kaiba's voice was sharp enough to cut glass. "Don't be an idiot."

She gave him a tight smile, appreciating the reason for his words. "Thanks, Kai."

She pointed for them to continue and then took off back the way they had come before he could offer a response. She didn't like Shadi—didn't even really know him—but he had risked a lot to distract the dragon. She couldn't just ignore that in peace.

After what seemed like hours, Yori heard the dragon growl, making her shiver once. She was close enough to hear him breathing again. She ducked around a tree and reached up to undo the clasp of her cape, letting it fall to the ground.

Taking a deep breath, she cleared her mind. Just a gang, she thought. All I'm facing is a really tough gang. They're distracted; what's my first move?

A weakness. Find a weakness.

With a purpose to focus on, Yori glanced around the tree trunk, taking in the scene in an instant. The crimson-eyed dragon had Shadi pinned to the ground and was baring his teeth. Shadi was either unconscious or just very good at lying still while being breathed on by a twenty-foot dragon.

Since his fingers were slack around the Millennium Key, she was going to say unconscious. She forced herself not to think about the possibility that it might be more serious than that.

"Tarter sauce," Yori muttered again. She had possibly one opening, if she could get there.

She darted around the clearing, staying in the shadows of the trees. Just like the buildings around an alleyway, she thought. The trees offered her cover all the way to the point she needed.

The dragon leaned down towards Shadi, teeth bared. Yori looked around frantically for some kind of weapon. Anything.

There. In the dim light she could just make out a decent-sized branch that had been broken off one of the trees. The broken edge of the limb was splintered and sharp.

He's gonna kill me, she thought. She grabbed the limb with both hands and jumped forward before she could let herself think twice. The dragon's tail stretched out before her, resting on the ground. It was the only weakness she could hope for.

With the practiced aim and focus of a fighter, Yori fell to her knees next to the outstretched tail, using her weight to drive the makeshift weapon into her target. Instantly, she was on her feet again and running back through the trees as the dragon let out another eerily scream-like sound.

She heard more trees groaning and breaking as she looped around the clearing. Trying not to think about the dragon chasing her, she tried to see a glimpse of white through the trees, searching for Shadi.

The dragon roared again—and she ran headfirst into something.

The impact sent both she and whatever she had hit tumbling to the ground. She scrambled to her feet again and then froze in shock.

"Yami?" she whispered hoarsely.

Her dazed friend blinked up at her. "Yori?"

She opened her mouth but something moved in the corner of her vision and she flipped around just in time to see something red and black fill her vision. She was thrown sideways, hitting the ground hard on her left shoulder and sliding. She heard Yami shout her name.

The dragon towered over her and his head came closer, his crimson eyes blazing. A snarl parted his lips.

Then something blocked her view. Yori blinked, still dazed. In the dim light she could make out Yami's form standing between her and the dragon.

"Don't come any closer to her," Yami said, his voice still as strong and carrying as ever, as if he frequently told twenty-foot furious dragons what to do.

Yori hoped with all her heart she would get a chance to tell him what an amazing guy he really was.

The dragon flicked his tail as he growled at Yami. Yori felt a few drops of warm blood hit her cheek from the dragon's open wound. Ignoring it, she climbed to her feet and moved to stand next to Yami, praying they wouldn't both meet their deaths in the next few seconds.

Then the dragon seemed to freeze, his eyes locked on both of them. Seconds ticked by in silence. Finally, he said one word that rooted Yori in place.

'_. . . .Pharaoh?'_

After a beat, Yami slowly said, "Yes?"

The dragon blinked and swung his gaze to rest solely on Yori. Unnerved, she did her best to meet his crimson eyes.

'_. . . .Mistress?'_

"H-huh?" she managed.

'_Your hair has changed . . . and I do not see the bracelet._' The dragon leaned even closer. Yori could feel his hot breath on her face and she saw Yami tense and move closer out of the corner of her eye. _'But your eyes. . . .'_

Suddenly, a warm tongue ran up Yori's arm and the right side of her face. The dragon leaned back and hunkered down so he was lying on the ground. She could swear he was grinning at her.

'_It __**is**__ you, Mistress!_' the dragon said.

"I. . . ." She shook her head and wiped the saliva off her cheek, trying desperately to figure out what the heck was going on. "I have no clue . . . what you're . . . huh?"

Yori was forcibly reminded of a dog—a giant, _intimidating_ dog, given—as the dragon's expression fell. _'I do not suppose you would know me. . . .'_

"Dante," a voice said suddenly.

Yori turned to see Shadi leaning heavily against a tree to her left. One hand was pressed against the side of his head—gripping the Millennium Key at the same time—and his eyes were on the dragon, who was watching him as well.

"You are the dragon I saw in my vision," Shadi said.

Yori glanced between the Egyptian and the dragon.

"What?" Yami said.

"I had a vision about this occurring, which is how I knew to come here to try and prevent it," Shadi said. "This dragon . . . is Yori's Ka."

Yori blinked. "My what?"

'_Every creature from my world has one Master or Mistress to whom their soul is bonded,'_ the dragon explained. _'We are sworn to protect and serve that human when the need arises, although most of those who are bonded never actually meet. We are their Ka's—Spirit Monsters.'_

Very slowly, Yori said, "If you're sworn to protect me, then why did you attack us?"

The dragon's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. _'Unless I am mistaken, I am the only one here that is bleeding.'_ He flicked his tail to prove his point, hitting Yori with a few more drops of blood.

"You were about to eat Shadi," Yori said coldly.

'_Nonsense. To eat any intelligent life form would be the highest of sins.'_

"Oh great. He's religious." Yori wondered if anything would ever surprise her again.

'_All creatures of my world recognize the All-God Rakaar.'_

Yami exhaled sharply. "Ra?"

The dragon glanced at him. _'Not the same as the God of Egypt, although the two are related. That is beside the point however—I did not try to attack you. If you have forgotten so quickly, I was the one pulled here with no warning. I am unfamiliar with my environment and was merely trying to get answers.'_

"As I said, what has transpired was a mistake which we tried our best to prevent," Shadi said. "We are not magic users; we are guardians of the Millennium Items."

'_As far as I can see, you are the only one with a Millennium Item,'_ the dragon said, looking at Shadi's key.

Yori started at his words, looking at Yami. Sure enough, the Millennium Puzzle wasn't around his neck.

Her eyes widened. "Where's Yugi?"

"I . . . uh . . . ran off," Yami said sheepishly. "I left him with Joey and Téa—he's safe; don't worry."

She wanted to say she was glad Yami was safe as well but paused. She still wasn't sure whether or not they were safe.

She looked at the dragon again. As soon as he met her eyes, he lowered his head.

'_Mistress?_' He paused when she didn't say anything and then added, _'I assure you I will make no move to harm anyone here—I only want answers.'_

Hot sauce. She didn't have a clue what to do. The dragon didn't seem intimidating anymore (except for his height) but that didn't hide the fact that he was a dragon. Here. Talking. Something unknown. Something dangerous.

She let out a heavy sigh.

"Okay," she said. "Here it is flat out. I would very much like to think that you're not going to tear my head off the moment I turn around, but I don't have any proof. Normally, I could go off the fact that you haven't killed me yet even though I'm just standing here unarmed, but I learned a few years ago that some people just wait to betray."

Everyone was silent. Yori kept her eyes locked with the crimson set above her. The dragon didn't move.

For minutes they sat like that. Then, finally, the dragon tilted his head to look at Shadi.

'_May I borrow that rope?'_

Shadi blinked and looked at the rope that was still looped through the top of his Millennium Key. He didn't show any outward confusion but he hesitated for a moment before he untied it from the item and held it up.

'_Please tie it into a loop again—but a smaller one,'_ the dragon said. He curled his tail up around his front legs and licked his open wound, cleaning it. _'Make the knot strong.'_

Yori and Yami exchanged glances, each of them as confused as the other. Shadi did as he was asked.

The dragon glanced up when Shadi was done and then wordlessly closed his eyes. A soft, pulsating, crimson glow spread across his scales from head to tail and he began to shrink. Yori watched, eyes widening, as he went from four times her size to less than half her size.

He opened his eyes again when the change was complete and walked over to Shadi. He nosed the rope loop over his head, shaking it so that the rope slid down to hang around his neck like a collar. Then he turned to face Yori again, looking up at her now.

'_At this size, I am at your mercy, Mistress,'_ he said. _'If I try to revert to normal, the rope will choke me. May I offer this as proof?'_

The way he said it was so innocent, not sarcastic at all. He _wanted_ to show her he was good to his word. That in itself brought Yori to her decision.

"What's your name?" she asked.

He cocked his head sideways. _'I am Keeper Dante Varikón. Keeper and Varikón are just important titles.'_

"Dante, then," she said. She looked up at Yami and Shadi. "I trust him. The question is . . . what now?"

* * *

_Authoress's Note: If you're not sure, the dragon's name is pronounced Don-tay and his second title is Varik-hon where you barely hear the h. I'm so excited I got to introduce him!! And I got to bring Yori and Yami back together, hehe._ _More surprises in store on **June 20th** - hope you enjoyed and continue to! :D_


	13. Chapter 13: Hygiene, Warnings, Taser

_Chapter 13: Hygiene, Warnings, and a Taser_

After the chaotic meeting with the dragon, Yori told the group that she had to find Kaiba again. Shadi and Dante stayed in the clearing while Yori led Yami through the trees.

Yami was silent as he racked his brain to try and think of what to say. He was beyond happy that he'd found Yori again but their meeting hadn't exactly been. . . . Well, hadn't been very ideal. Just blurting out suddenly "I missed you" or "I was worried" seemed kind of. . . .

His train of thought left the tracks as Yori suddenly turned and wrapped her arms around him tightly, burying her face in his neck. She didn't say anything and he hesitated only a moment before hugging her back with a gentle smile.

All it took was that single instant and, for the first time since entering Noah's world, Yami felt peaceful again. Things weren't instantly perfect of course, but it didn't matter; they could figure things out. He kissed the top of Yori's head softly.

"It's been quite a day, hasn't it?" she said, her words muffled.

"Only a little," he said lightly. "We got pulled into one of Kaiba's problems instead of something to do with the end of the world, I ran away from a duel for the first time, listened to stories about a mouse, watched Yugi rescue Téa from a penguin, and ran headfirst into my love before we both had to confront a talking dragon."

Yori laughed, leaning back so she could look up at him. "Never a dull moment."

"Of course not," he agreed.

"Come on," she said, releasing him and stepping back. "I don't want Kaiba and Mokuba to be freaked out more than necessary."

"Speaking of which, where did that dragon come from in the first place?"

Using awesome sneaky ninja skills, Yami slipped his hand into Yori's to give her balance as she hopped over a fallen tree. He conveniently forgot to let go.

Yori just smiled at him. "It's a long story and all I have to go on is Shadi's theory."

He winced slightly. "Hmm. Well, it's better than nothing. What does Shadi think?"

She told him about the Millennium Items' power surging out into the realm of monsters and about the Egyptian history of it. She looked down at her bare wrist a few times as she spoke, seeming unnerved by the missing item. She couldn't quite explain what had happened to her bracelet—only that Shadi had said it must have somehow been taken from her when she entered the virtual world.

"I'm afraid it's all confusing to me," Yami said honestly, wishing he knew more about the Millennium Items. "It seems that every time we turn around, the items have a new power or are responsible for some new problem."

Yori nodded and then paused in her jog, resting her hands on her knees. Yami stopped with her.

"I think we may have forgotten an easier way to do this," she said with a wry smile.

He raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Straightening up, she shouted, "Kai! Moki!"

"Ah," Yami said, chuckling. "That _is_ probably easier than running them down."

Yori nodded with a smile. He took up the call with her—although he didn't use nicknames of course. They repeated it every few minutes, continuing on their way through the forest.

It was hard to tell how long it took but after a while, they got a reply.

"Are you _trying_ to wake the dead?"

The irritated voice belonged to none other than Kaiba as he made his way through the trees to them, Mokuba holding onto his arm.

Yori grinned. "Good to see you too, Kai."

"Yori!" Mokuba said, running forward. He latched onto her in the form of a bear hug. "What happened? Are you okay? What was that thing? Is that other guy okay? Where'd Yugi come from? Is the dragon still here?"

Yami and Yori both laughed at the barrage of questions. Yori hugged him back.

"Well, I can explain what happened on the way back," she said.

"Back?" Kaiba said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," she said, looking up at him. "It's. . . . Well, it's a long story, but apparently the dragon is on our side. I think."

Kaiba scoffed.

"Is it really okay?" Mokuba asked, still not releasing her.

She nodded and tilted her head back the way they had come. "Mm-hmm. Come on."

Hesitantly, Mokuba released her and followed her back. Yami fell into step behind them, Kaiba grudgingly coming as well, bringing up the rear.

Yori explained about Dante as they walked, filling in Yami on the details of what he had missed as well. Everyone else stayed mainly silent—minus when she mentioned stabbing the dragon, Kaiba and Mokuba both had exclamations about that—but even so she just barely finished the story before they entered the clearing once more.

Shadi was sitting cross-legged on the ground with his eyes closed when they arrived, seeming to meditate. Dante had his head cocked to the side, watching him, and Yami got the distinct impression that the dragon had the urge to poke Shadi. He didn't, however, looking up at them instead.

'_Mistress!'_ His tone was happy as it echoed in Yami's mind.

"You can just call me Yori, you know," Yori said, sitting with her back against a tree at the edge of the small clearing.

Dante didn't reply. He got up and trotted over to curl up next to her, resting his head on her lap. Yami felt a little pang of jealousy and then shook his head to clear it. He was being ridiculous. He took a seat on the grass between Yori (technically Dante because of the dragon's position) and Shadi.

Kaiba, he noticed, chose to remain standing, his eyes on the dog-sized dragon. Mokuba stood next to him, watching Dante as well.

Dante raised his head to stare back at them. Then, unexpectedly, he was on his feet and snarling.

"What?" Kaiba snapped.

'_You!'_ Dante said in reply, his lips parting as he continued to snarl. _'Mistress, what is this thing?'_

Yori narrowed her eyes and put an arm in front of the dragon, forcing him back so she could meet his gaze. A bit of ice glinted in her violet irises.

"That _thing_, as you put it, would be my friend," she said. "And you can stay silent if you don't like him. If you try anything, I won't hesitate to find another weapon I can use on you."

Dante lowered his head, although he growled. _'I do not like his smell.'_

Yori blinked and raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm afraid you'll have to take up the matter of how often he showers with him."

"Excuse me?" Kaiba said, managing to glare at both of them at the same time.

Mokuba smiled and Yami coughed to hide a chuckle. Shadi finally opened his eyes to look at them, but he remained silent.

Dante seemed confused. _'His smell is evil. Does this 'shower' cleanse evil?'_

"Close enough," Yori said, rolling her eyes.

'_Then he should try it,'_ Dante said, glaring at Kaiba again.

Yami snorted, unable to help it.

"I don't need lectures from someone who licks himself clean, mutt," Kaiba said coldly.

'_For your information, I clean myself in the fire springs daily,'_ Dante said with a growl. _'And that has not the least thing to do with __**your**__ evil smell.'_

Yori looked up. "Now I'm curious. How often _do_ you shower, Kai?"

"My hygiene is none of your concern," Kaiba sniffed.

"Moki?"

"Daily," Mokuba said. He giggled and added, "He's like a girl because he spends about an hour in the bathroom."

"Mokuba!"

Mokuba just laughed at his brother. "But it's true, Seto."

Kaiba turned to look away from all of them, a glare on his features. Yami and Yori just laughed along with Mokuba.

"Forgive me for interrupting, but I feel we need to deal with the problem at hand as soon as possible," Shadi said, speaking up for the first time.

"Which one, turban top?" Yori said, leaning back against the tree with a relaxed smile.

"Kaiba taking too long in the bathroom? Or the fact that despite that, his smell still offends a dragon?" Yami couldn't help saying impishly.

Kaiba snarled at him but Mokuba and Yori broke into laughter again. Dante gave a light chuckle as well, his tone warm in Yami's mind.

Shadi's voice held an icy note. "I was referring to the dragon lap-warmer."

Dante's expression drooped. _'Why am I a problem?'_

Yori patted his head. "I think he's referring to your problem of being here, not saying that you are a problem."

Dante looked relieved. Well, as much as his dragon features could show it.

"_I_ think it's a problem," Kaiba growled.

'_I do not care what you think, evil one.'_

"Hey," Yori said, swatting the dragon's nose, "play nice." She looked up at Kaiba. "You too, Kai."

'_I will try if you want me to, Mistress. However, that is asking a lot.'_

"I don't take orders," Kaiba sniffed.

Yori glanced at Yami, as if searching for help. He shrugged helplessly.

Yori sighed. She turned to look at Shadi.

"Well Shadi, what do you suggest?"

* * *

Krisalyn never made it to the virtual world.

She left the control room and wandered down the echoing hall, coming to a stop in front of another door. She produced a set of keys from her pocket and slid one into the lock, turning it. A small click sounded and she replaced the keys in her pocket, turning the handle.

Before she could open the door to the virtual room, however, a small device attached to her belt began to vibrate madly. She froze in place and then moved her hand from the doorknob to the device, unclipping it from her belt.

A small screen on the detector showed her a view from one of the security cameras. Someone was leaving the blimp.

"You have to be kidding me," she muttered. Turning on a dime, the redhead raced back up the hall and ducked into the control room once more. She planted a knee in her computer chair, spinning it smoothly to face the large screen. Her fingers flew across the keyboards until a view of the hanger appeared.

Pressing one more button, she leaned in close to a microphone.

"You are unauthorized; return to the blimp at once," she said curtly.

The figure standing on the exit stairs of KaibaCraft 3 looked up as her voice echoed through the hanger. He remained standing nonchalantly and chuckled. Holding up a golden item, he ran his tongue across one of its wing-like edges.

What a bunch of freaks Noah had stumbled upon. That made three of them now that had some sort of weird item. She would have assumed it was part of Kaiba's tournament if her research hadn't informed her otherwise.

"I do what I want," the figure said, twirling the item once. He began walking down the steps.

Marik Ishtar. That had to be who it was. Although, his hair was wilder than in the one picture she'd been able to find—his look was crazier on the whole, actually.

"Marik Ishtar, return to the blimp or I will not hesitate to set the guns on you," she said, her free hand already hovering above a keypad.

"I am Malik," was his only reply. He continued on his way.

Narrowing her eyes, Krisalyn keyed in the sequence. Rows of guns appeared in the walls, aimed at the white/blonde-haired figure.

"Return to the blimp,_ Malik_," she said.

He chuckled again, an insane sound. "Make me."

Alright, let's see your attitude hold up after I give you a warning shot, Krisalyn thought. His golden item seemed to be a perfect target.

She released the microphone and keyed in another sequence, opening a different audio channel. "Computer, prepare to lock on."

The screen flashed and turned a hue of red.

"Awaiting target," said an electronic voice.

With a skilled hand, she outlined the head of Malik's item on the screen. The camera zoomed in and the rest of the display returned to normal colors while the item remained red.

"Confirm target," the electronic voice said.

"Confirmed," Krisalyn said. "One shot only. Fire in three."

"Affirmative. Shot in three . . . two . . . firing."

The screen flashed one last time and a shot echoed in the hanger.

Then, to her confusion, Krisalyn saw Malik calmly flick his item at the exact same moment. The item remained intact and the bullet went skidding across the floor, clanging as it went.

It had never made contact with the target.

"Fool," Malik purred. "You know nothing of the power of a Millennium Item."

"Is that what you call your gold toy?" she said into the microphone, frowning. She pinged the system, trying to discover where the error in the shot had been.

"Come out and face me," he said tauntingly. "I'll show you what my Millennium Rod can do."

Millennium Rod? How corny. Krisalyn continued searching the system, her frown deepening ever so slightly as she found no errors.

Malik ran his thumb along the edge of one of the Rod's wings, pausing in his steps.

"My Millennium Rod has been acting very strangely," he said. "No doubt it's the result of something those fools have done and I grow tired of waiting. Where are they?"

"Their location is none of your concern," Krisalyn said.

"Oh but you'll tell me anyway," he said, licking his lips.

"What gives you that idea?" Krisalyn asked, allowing a hint of icy defiance to creep into her voice.

"Because if you don't, I'll destroy this building piece by piece until I find them myself," he said calmly, an insane grin lighting his features.

"I'd like to see you try," she muttered. Pressing the microphone button, she said loudly, "I'm releasing security on you. This is your last chance to return to the blimp."

He shrugged. "We'll do this the long way then."

He began walking again and she released the microphone button, emitting a growl. She typed in the code for security robots and riffled through her bag for something. Finding it in seconds, she pulled out her taser gun and changed the settings.

She was sick of this cocky intruder.

* * *

_Authoress's Note: Whoo, just barely finished this on time. lol. Work has been eating up a lot of my time lately as well as meetings and responsibilities and general other problems. I had a lot of fun on this chapter though. I hope you enjoyed it! Next update: **June 27th!**_


	14. Announcement

_Authoress's note: Hey guys, sorry I have to do this. **DON'T FREAK OUT!** I'M NOT DISCONTINUING MY STORY OR ANYTHING! _

_However, I've been gone all week on a camping trip. I thought I would have plenty of time to write but I wound up not having any. I don't even have the new chapter started. _

_So, I'm afraid I'm going to have to postpone posting it until next Friday (not Saturday since it's a holiday). **SORRY!** I swear I'll have it up ASAP on** July 3rd.** I'm really sorry I have to make you wait! Hope you'll forgive me!_


	15. Chapter 14: Links

_Chapter 14: Links_

"I believe the only way to send him back would be with the item that summoned him," Shadi said, lacing his fingers together in his lap.

Yori tapped her bare wrist pointedly. "That's great but, in case you haven't noticed, I don't have my bracelet."

"This is ridiculous," Kaiba grumbled.

"That is true," Shadi agreed, "which leaves us with no other choice but to exit this virtual world as quickly as possible and retrieve the item."

"I'll let you tell Noah that," Yori said. "Good luck!"

"There are always more options."

Yori snorted. "Alright, my bad. You can talk to Flashy instead."

"Flashy?" Yami repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Noah's little goody-good assistant or whatever," Yori explained.

"We had a run in with some girl who helps Noah," Mokuba added when Yami still looked confused.

Shadi shifted slightly, his gaze sliding over each of them in turn. "You must discover a way to leave this world."

"You really don't listen to a word I say if it isn't convenient, do you?" Yori growled.

The dragon in her lap tilted his head up. _'Mistress, you have been pulled from your world too?' _

"Yep, we're all in pretty much the same boat," Yori said. She gestured at Shadi. "'Cept for him. And, by the way, you can seriously call me Yori."

'_Interesting,'_ Dante said, not commenting on the name thing either way. Yori rolled her eyes.

"Speaking of which, how are you here?" Mokuba asked, looking at Shadi.

"My Millennium Key offers me access to places that are otherwise unavailable," Shadi said, raising a hand to touch said item.

"Of course." Yori ran a hand through the grass at her side, reminding herself it only _felt _real. "Do the stupid items have any rules at all? Every time I turn around they're doing something else that's a pain in the neck."

"Usually when you distrust them most is when you discover their limitations," Shadi said, stiffening just slightly.

"Oh, I do believe I sense a warning in that," Yori said.

"Your assumption has a strong possibility of proving correct."

Yori laughed aloud. "I think that's the longest 'yes' I've ever heard in my life."

Yami chuckled off to her side as the Egyptian chose to remain silent. Yori caught his eye and smiled at him.

"Hate to break this to you geeks, but we still haven't solved the pest control problem," Kaiba said, finally speaking up.

'_Take a shower, evil one.'_

Yori hid her laugh, deciding Kaiba had been tormented enough for one day.

"Well, our first priority is getting out of the virtual world," Yori said.

"I'm not keeping company with that _thing_ until Noah finally decides to end his little game," Kaiba growled.

Dante's growl beat his hands down as the dragon flicked his tail. Yori noticed the dried blood on his tail and winced slightly. She should probably apologize for that. . . .

'_I cannot see how __**anyone**__ would ever want to keep company with you, evil one,'_ Dante sniffed.

"Careful, your 'mistress' happens to enjoy his company," Yori said mildly.

Everyone in the clearing stared at her with varying levels of surprise (minus Shadi of course). She was amused to see that Kaiba and Dante's expressions were most surprised—although how she could tell exactly how the dragon felt was still a mystery to her.

'_**Why?'**_ Dante asked, sounding completely baffled. Kaiba looked away, his expression quickly falling back into cool indifference.

Yori shrugged. "I told you before; he's a friend."

"That means you are _so_ in on our future gaming sessions, Seto," Mokuba said with a grin.

Yori caught Yami's eye and smiled at the adorable I'm-completely-lost expression on his face. She mouthed the words "I'll tell you later."

'_I'm afraid I cannot account for your taste in friends,'_ Dante grumbled. _'But you are my mistress and therefore I will respect your choices.'_

Yori rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Thanks ever so much."

'_Please do not offer gratitude; it was not as gracious as I should be,'_ Dante said, surprise in his tone.

Yori couldn't help a laugh.

"Sarcasm is completely lost on mutts," Kaiba said, his mouth twisting up in a smirk.

'_I do not remember asking for your input,'_ Dante growled.

Yori shook her head. "Just on a much-less-important side note here, does anyone have any ideas for escape that don't require the green-haired brat or Flashy?"

"I don't see how we could have one," Mokuba said. He scuffed the toe of his shoe on the ground. "I mean, Noah controls this whole place . . . room . . . world . . . thing."

"You are missing a key element in how your enemy has designed his trap," Shadi said. His eyes were closed and he looked like he was meditating.

Yori raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you enlighten us, turban top?"

"Because knowledge loses its worth when you do not seek it yourself," he said, eyes remaining closed.

Yori started, remembering something from the last dream she had had. "And knowledge is the key to the secrets of the world, eh?"

Shadi's eyes slid open. "As a matter of fact, it is indeed."

"Yeah, well, I think this is an exception," she said. Her attention wasn't on the words much as the dream came rushing back. Perfect, just what she needed. One more thing for her to worry about.

"Some rules have no exceptions," Shadi said.

"Ah, but _all _rules were made to be broken," Yori said, smirking.

Dante suddenly chuckled. _'Mistress, you would get along so well with Sin.'_

Yori raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"I thought Kaiba was the evil one," Yami commented innocently.

"Don't even, Yugi," Kaiba growled.

'_Not the thing, the person,'_ Dante said, shaking his head. _'Sin is the name of my best friend.'_

"And to think you were lecturing Yori on choice of friends earlier," Kaiba said.

'_At least my friends do not have to put up with an evil smell to be around me,'_ Dante retorted.

Yori shook her head helplessly. "People? Can we focus on the virtual world?"

"I'm afraid I know nothing of technology," Yami said. "Yori?"

"A bit, but nothing on virtual stuff." She grinned. "Good thing we have an expert here, right Kai?"

Before Kaiba could say anything, Dante threw in an innocent, _'The turban top or the child?'_

Yori coughed, hiding a laugh.

"Neither," Kaiba snarled.

'_Ah, I am afraid I am at a loss then,'_ Dante said._ 'Unless you consider me an expert on whatever this subject is.'_

"I wouldn't consider you an expert on anything since you can't even dodge a girl with a twig," Kaiba sneered.

"I take offense at that," Yori said mildly.

'_Mistress?'_ Dante cried. He leapt to his feet, snarling at Kaiba. _'How dare you offend my mistress!'_

Yori laughed helplessly, keeping a hand on the makeshift collar around Dante's neck so he wouldn't leap at Kaiba.

"Calm down, Dante," she said, shaking her head. "The real insult was meant for you."

Dante continued to growl at Kaiba but he didn't say anything else.

"So, Kai, any insights on this program of Noah's?" Yori asked.

"First of all, it isn't that brat's program," Kaiba said, glaring at Dante. "It's mine."

"How so, Seto?" Mokuba said, frowning.

"The original concept for virtual gaming like this might have belonged to a lot of people, but I was the one to actually create it. This world we're in is simply a twisted, advanced version of what I have integrated into Kaiba Corp.'s duel disks."

"So if the core program is yours, think you can break down this version?" Yori said.

"Do you have to ask?" Kaiba drawled. "But I would need access to the computer running the system."

"Hmm, well that is a problem." Yori sighed. "Looks like we're stuck here until we beat Noah."

"Maybe we could introduce him to the dragon and scare him off," Mokuba suggested with a smile.

"Please, that thing couldn't scare off a fly," Kaiba said.

'_I noticed you high-tailing it away pretty quickly when we first met,'_ Dante said, a smug note in his voice.

"I didn't like your smell," Kaiba countered smoothly.

Yori raised her eyes to the sky, exasperated. "Children, can we get along for a full minute please?"

'_**He **__is the child,' _Dante sniffed. _'You are, what, a measly twenty years at the most?'_

"Eighteen," Kaiba said, "and, let me guess, you're four."

'_Add a 'thousand' behind that and you're still too low, child.'_

Kaiba snorted. "Ridiculous."

Yori tapped the dragon's head, getting him to look at her.

"How old _are_ you?" she asked curiously.

'_Six thousand eight hundred and eleven, Mistress,'_ Dante said, his eyes twinkling.

Yori stared, unsure of whether to congratulate or comfort him.

"Yes, but what is your equivalent on the same scale as Kaiba?" Shadi said, finally speaking up again.

Yori raised an eyebrow.

Dante tilted his head slightly, as if conceding a point.

'_That is literally how many human years I have aged,'_ he said, _'but I am just into adulthood. So, in equivalent, I am between what you would think of as nineteen and twenty.'_

"Sure that isn't 'eighteen and nineteen' but you just don't want to be the same age as someone you called a child?" Yori asked, sharing an amused glance with Yami.

'_Positive. I have already won the 'child' point,'_ Dante said, glancing at Kaiba with what could only be described as a smug expression. Kaiba merely rolled his eyes, muttering "Ridiculous" again.

'_How old are you, Mistress?'_ He settled onto her lap again, curling his tail up.

"I, Yori, am a few weeks away from being eighteen," she said pointedly.

'_I see.'_ He conveniently avoided titling her with anything.

Something suddenly struck Yori and she leaned forward a bit.

"Dante, is it because you're over five thousand that you recognized Ya–the Pharaoh?"

"Who?" Mokuba asked.

"Long story," Yori said apologetically. She saw Yami mutter something out of the corner of her eye, his expression dark.

Dante blinked. _'I never knew the Pharaoh in his past life if that is what you are implying. However, I have friends who did and, pardon my offense, his description is striking and rather hard to mistake.'_

"Don't I know it," Yami said with a sigh. "No offense taken."

Yori smiled. Thoughtfully, she said, "Who do you know that knew him?"

'_The Pharaoh's Ka of course, but I am afraid I am not well acquainted with him. Mainly, the Ka of one of his high priests—she is a good friend.'_

Yori leaned a bit closer eagerly. "Who is she?"

'_She is a fellow dragon—although not fire like me. Her name is Kisara.'_

* * *

Avoiding the security robots would have been child's play, but Malik found it much more satisfying to blast a path right through them. A smoking, melting-metal, sparking-wires type path.

It was quite enjoyable, really.

He blasted the last robot in the group and licked his lips, grinning.

Then, suddenly, his Millennium Rod gained a soft, pulsating glow. Malik brought it up to eye level and ran a finger across one of the wings, his eyes surveying the storage room he was in.

"I know you're here," he purred. "Why don't you come out and face me? I have yet to show you the full powers of my rod."

There was no response but he could still sense the girl's presence.

"Come now, there's no need to be shy," he said, twirling the rod. "I can introduce you to my Millennium Item just as I introduced your robots."

Still nothing. He turned slowly, his eyes studying every visible section of the room. There were multiple piles of storage boxes blocking his view and, no doubt, hiding the girl.

Well, there were ways around such things.

"Very well then." He grinned, licking his lips. "I'll just expose you myself."

Another blast from his rod took out the top box-and-a-half of a stack tucked away in a corner. Splintered wood went skittering across the floor along with twisted metal—whatever was kept in the boxes.

There. He caught a quick movement out of the corner of his eye and turned just in time to smoothly deflect the blast of some kind of weapon.

"Do you have a fetish with shooting people?" He chuckled. "I could grow to like that."

Another blast took out the pile of boxes the girl was behind. She let out a cry that was quickly cut off and dived to the side to avoid the debris. In one smooth movement, she rolled to her feet again, bringing her weapon up to point directly at him.

"Fiery redhead, huh?" he commented. "No wonder."

Her only response was two rapid shots. He deflected them both with his Millennium Rod.

"I grow bored. You'd best make this game more interesting if you fancy keeping your life and soul."

Her expression was a mixture of confusion and frustration, but still she said nothing. He brought the rod to bear—

—And it flared with a blinding, blue-white glow.

* * *

_Authoress's Note: Happy 4th of July everyone! Guess I lied about how I wouldn't post on a holiday, but some unexpected stuff came up. It's only a few hours late though. Hope you enjoyed! See you again on **July 11th**._


	16. Chapter 15: Lies

_Chapter 15: Lies_

"The next event in the sequence commences," Shadi said, looking down at his Millennium Key as it pulsated with a soft glow.

"What's that, turban top?"

Shadi forced his irritation at the title down at looked up at Yori, who had an eyebrow raised in his direction.

"The next Millennium Item is beginning its reaction," he said.

Yori blinked and then her face fell. "Wait. . . ."

"You mean this is going to happen to _all_ the Millennium Items?" the Pharaoh demanded, leaning forward.

"No," Shadi said, quite certain of it. "But it will continue happening until all of the extra energy is dispelled. The items that will react—as well as when and what will happen—is, unfortunately, impossible to predict."

He rose to his feet, the Millennium Key in one hand. Kaiba scoffed and mumbled something about Egyptian nonsense.

"What's happening?" Mokuba asked.

"I think Shadi's saying another Dante's about to appear," Yori said, giving a small sigh.

'_I fear you are mistaken, white one,'_ the dragon said, flicking his tail. _'There is only one of me.'_

"Not you _literally_," Yori corrected, shaking her head.

Kaiba threw in a rather childish, "Duh."

Dante growled.

"Which item is it happening to?" the Pharaoh said, ignoring the others.

"The rod," Shadi replied simply.

Yori groaned. "_Great!_ That's all we need—for Malik to have a giant monster at his beck and call." She suddenly glared off to the side. "And don't shake your head at me, Kai. You can't ignore what's sitting in my lap."

Shadi looked at Kaiba in time to see the teen roll his eyes. "Please, Yori. We're in a virtual world. Of course it's possible for an imaginary dragon to show up here. In case you've forgotten, Malik is still on the blimp." He paused and then added, "Unless he tried to leave and Noah had him shot. Either way, he doesn't get an annoying companion like what's in your lap."

'_I will have you know I am perfectly real, evil one. I can prove it by severing one of your limbs if you would like.'_

"I'd like to see you try, mutt."

'_With pleasure!'_

"Hey, now, none of that," Yori said sharply, catching the rope around Dante's neck as the dragon tried to jump at Kaiba. "And Kai, stop antagonizing him."

Mokuba giggled while Kaiba chose to remain silent.

"Anyway, problem at hand." Yori turned to look at Shadi. "Is there anything we can do about the rod?"

"_We_, no," Shadi said. "However, I believe I may be able to delay the process at least until you exit this virtual world. With the help of one group member that is."

Yori frowned. "Who?"

Shadi pointed wordlessly at the snarling, dog-sized dragon she was still holding back.

"Dante?" she said, surprise obvious in her voice.

The dragon instantly snapped to attention. _'Yes, Mistress?'_

"How would Dante help?" she asked, frowning again.

'_Beg pardon?'_

"Your Ka is more powerful than he looks," Shadi explained. "I believe that I could use his power along with the Millennium Key to put a roadblock of sorts in the rod's channel of power."

"Not a bad idea to get rid of Malik, although your idea is complicated nonsense," Kaiba said with a smirk. "Just sic him, mutt. Spread your rabies."

A retort was apparently lost on Dante since the dragon most likely had no clue as to what 'rabies' was. Instead he chose to ignore Kaiba completely. Yori shook her head and gave a small laugh.

"Well, even just delaying the whole summoning thing would be good," she said, looking at Shadi again. "But it's up to Dante."

'_I am willing to perform any task if it will help my mistress,'_ Dante said immediately.

Shadi nodded. "Very well then. Come here."

Dante trotted over to stand at his side, cocking his head. Shadi touched his forehead with a hand, just between his eyes.

"We will meet again once you have exited this world," Shadi said, looking between Yori and the Pharaoh.

"Of course you get a cheat code to get in and out," Yori said, a bit of jealousy in her tone.

"I'm afraid no one but the Pharaoh could use my exit, and I'm sure he would not opt to leave you," Shadi said in return.

A blush crossed both Yori and the Pharaoh's faces at the same moment.

'_Wait, we are leaving Mistress?'_ the dragon yelped.

"Good riddance," Kaiba sneered.

Before Dante could have a chance to change his mind, Shadi closed his eyes and pulled them both out of the virtual world. The dragon jerked away too late and started growling. Shadi opened his eyes, looking around the metal hallway.

'_You tricked me,'_ the dragon snarled.

"I never said whether we were leaving or not and you did not inquire," Shadi replied. "The choice was yours."

'_I demand you return me to Mistress!'_

"I was under the impression that you wished to help her," Shadi said critically.

Dante faltered. _'I do.'_

"The only way to help her is to act here."

Dante growled, pacing like a caged animal. Finally, he gave a mental sigh.

'_When we have finished here . . . ?'_ He let the question hang. Shadi nodded.

"When we have finished here, I can return you."

Dante dipped his head. _'Very well then. I will assist you.'_

Shadi studied him, pursing his lips as he thought back to the past.

"It is ironic. . . ." he murmured.

'_What now?'_ Dante asked, his tone irritated.

"That Yori's biggest downfall is so loyal to her," Shadi said. He turned and held up his key, letting it guide him down the hall. "Come."

'_What was that?'_ Dante demanded, trying to jump in front of the Egyptian. His claws skittered on the metal sheeting and his footing slipped, sending him sprawling. He growled and shook his head.

"It is through no fault of yours, worry not," Shadi said, stepping past him towards a door. "It is simply interesting."

'_What is not my fault? What downfall?!'_

"It is also interesting that your memory seems to be altered just as hers is," Shadi said, placing a hand on the door. The metal vibrated under his skin and he could hear explosions from within the room beyond it.

'_There is nothing wrong with my memory!'_

Shadi turned, watching as the dragon struggled to regain and keep his footing.

"Even more interesting," he commented quietly, "is that you are unaware of it."

'_I suggest you begin explaining yourself quickly,'_ Dante said, panting as he finally managed to start towards the Egyptian, each step carefully placed. Little tendrils of flame curled from the metal around where he stepped as well as from his open mouth.

The only answer Shadi offered was to turn away and throw the door open. Brilliant blue-white light flooded the hallway, its source barely visible. Shadi squinted, shielding his eyes with his free hand. He focused on the bit of the rod he could see.

He was late.

He could sense the dragon behind him without turning—still struggling towards him—and he brought the Millennium Key to bear. A golden glow spilled from the item, coating Shadi's skin. It continued to spread and he could feel the moment it touched Dante. The dragon let out a startled cry and the glow flared, becoming a hundred times more powerful and washing the blue-white rival away.

Shadi was able to lock eyes with Malik Ishtar for a moment, hatred and shock burning in the latter's. Then the gold light overcame the wielder of the rod, rendering him unconscious. It washed over the rest of the room and then withdrew to Shadi, bringing something back with it.

Shadi studied the retrieved shape, lowering the key but not deactivating it. It was another dragon, in a form about three-quarters the size of Dante. The new dragon was unconscious and surrounded in a pale blue glow. Shadi bit back a sigh and used the Millennium Key to move the two dragons together.

Dante cursed at him mentally in the dragon's language, hatred burning in his crimson eyes. Shackles of golden light held him in place on the metal floor, now linking him to the new dragon.

'_You have no intention of returning me to Mistress.'_ The words were an accusation laced with sureness.

"Your appearance was untimely," Shadi said. "There is a delicate balance here and we cannot take the risk of upsetting it further."

'_Do not act righteous,'_ Dante snarled. _'You just feel the need to be in control; I was something unplanned.'_

"Perhaps," Shadi admitted. "But with the fate of the world on the line, control is hardly a fault."

Dante snapped at him, a vain gesture with the shackles still in place.

'_What is going on here?'_

Shadi raised his eyebrows at the question, a bit surprised. "You've fallen into the middle of a five thousand year old battle, of sorts. The official ending was all those years ago but loose ends were left. Events have taken place that have begun to test the threads, and now everything is threatening to unravel."

'_And my mistress is one of those metaphoric threads?'_

"As are you."

The dragon snarled. _'Then why are you detaining me?'_

"As I said, your appearance was untimely. Though I cannot undo what has been done, it is within my power to prevent things from progressing."

With the Egyptian's words, the light twisted around both dragons to form a tight cage, keeping Dante shackled to the bottom.

'_Self-righteous liar,'_ Dante spat.

Shadi made no reply. He raised his Millennium Key and banished the cage. Dante gave a roar as it disappeared and the noise echoed in the empty hallway.

Shadi looked around one last time before closing his eyes and disappearing as well.

* * *

Silence. It surrounded him. Engulfed him. Darkness and the never-ending silence.

Lightning flashed behind the giant window, shattering the darkness into jagged shadows before the light disappeared and they all reformed. Back into one great mass of darkness that pressed in on the huddled form, crushing him. Thunder followed its counterpart after a pause, vibrating in the stifling air and echoing in his ears even after the real sound vanished.

At least it broke the silence. But it returned, just as it always did.

As the storm began to pick up, he tightened his arms and pretended. Pretended that the room was filled with warm, yellow light. Pretended that the silence never existed, that laughter and gentle voices filled the room instead. And pretended that the arms wrapped around him were not his own.

Thunder crashed again and he jumped this time. He squeezed his eyes closed and buried his face in his arms.

But he couldn't pretend it away.

Duke awoke with a start, his eyes snapping open. He blinked at the light gray sky several times, slowing his breathing. Just a dream. No, a memory. It had been a long time since he had curled in a corner to try to escape the silence. The emptiness.

Duke shook his head fiercely and sat up, scrubbing a hand across his eyes. He shoved the thoughts and renewed childhood memory aside and instead looked around.

It only made things worse.

Tristan and Serenity were curled up together a few feet away. Together being the operative word. Her head rested on his chest and he had one arm wrapped around her shoulders in a protective gesture. His other hand held one of hers, resting on his stomach.

Duke looked away. He climbed to his feet and brushed his clothes off, more to keep his hands busy than for an actual need. Then his fingers strayed immediately to the dice earring he wore and he fought back a sigh, gritting his teeth. He lowered his hand and folded his arms, his fingers digging into bare skin. Then he cleared his throat as loudly as he could manage.

Tristan's voice gave a groggy mumble and then cut off. Silence, Duke thought, oh the irony. Not a beat later, quick scuffling told Duke what his eyes couldn't see as Tristan scooted away from the sleeping girl.

"I-it's not like—not w-what you think," Tristan said hurriedly, fumbling over the words. "Last night there was a roar sound and—"

"Shut it," Duke snarled, still not turning to face the other teen.

"Hey!" Tristan protested. "It's not what you think! I didn't mean to fall asleep like that. We both heard it and Serenity just needed—"

"Protection from the big scary roar that somehow didn't wake me?" Duke's nails bit into his bare arms. "Don't treat me like an idiot, Tristan. You got back at me for lying earlier. Touché. I concede. Believe it or not, I _can_ take and not just dish. Just don't mock me by pretending."

"Duke. . . ." Tristan's voice held a mix of anger, frustration, and shock.

Just then, another voice joined the conversation, this one just a mumble of, "Wha's goin' on?"

Duke closed his eyes with a wince. Serenity's normally cute, gentle voice was made adorable by the hint of a Brooklyn accent that was usually carried solely by her brother.

"Nothing," the raven-haired teen said quietly. "Good morning."

"Good morning!" The accent disappeared into her normal tone. Then, "To you too, Tristan. What's wrong?"

Duke glanced over his shoulder—just in time to see Tristan smile and offer Serenity a hand.

"Nothing," Tristan said, giving no hint that the word was a lie or was forced. He helped Serenity to her feet and Duke looked away again. Without a word, he started walking away from the other two.

"Hey, Duke, wait up!" Serenity's voice called after him.

A small sigh escaped him before he shook it off. He flipped his bangs and kept walking, making no move to do as she asked.

Then, abruptly, a door appeared before him. He stumbled to a stop, staring at it. It was suspended with no support in a place it hadn't been a moment before.

"What is _that?_" Duke heard Tristan say. The sarcastic retort of 'a door' rose to Duke's lips but he said nothing. Instead, he did possibly the most impulsive thing in his life.

He opened the door and stepped through.

* * *

"Well, that wasted a night."

"Oh relax, Kai." Yori hid a yawn and pursed her lips, eyes on the lightening sky. "You can't tell me you planned on sleeping anyway."

"Neither did you," he accused, correctly.

"I did," Mokuba mumbled, sighing.

The corner of Yori's mouth lifted in a smile. "Sorry Moki."

"S'okay. I got to meet a dragon instead." Mokuba gave her a return smile.

Yori gave a quiet, thoughtful hum. It was true. A dragon. And even though she had only known him a few hours, she felt an unnatural weight in the pit of her stomach at his absence. Something felt wrong.

She sighed and pushed herself to her feet. Yami followed suit, his expression subdued for some reason.

"Well," she said slowly, "I suppose this means we need to return to Noah's game."

Kaiba muttered something darkly, expressing his feelings on the idea. Yori had to agree.

"I should return before Joey and Téa awaken and wonder where Yugi is," Yami said quietly.

"Well, let's all go," Mokuba suggested. "It'd be best to get the whole group together again to beat Noah I think." He frowned and added, "And why did you refer to yourself in third person, Yugi?"

Yami cleared his throat and offered only a shrug, the tips of his ears burning red. Yori shook her head, wondering why it wasn't as obvious to everyone else as it was to her that Yugi and Yami were completely different people. Perhaps it was just that no one else considered 'magic' and just got used to Yugi's odd, changing appearance. Or they were all blind. She smiled at the thought.

Kaiba scowled. "You want me to _willingly_ hook up with the nerd herd?"

"Speak for yourself, computer-gaming-business nerd," Yori said, rolling her eyes.

"Child genius. There's a difference."

"When's your birthday? I'll get you a pocket protector and some nice thick glasses. Maybe even a clipboard, if you ask nicely."

Mokuba giggled at the girl's words. Kaiba scoffed but Yori noticed a smirk tugging at his lips. She hid her own and turned to Yami.

"So, King of Games, care to lead the way?"

His expression tightened for a reason she couldn't name but he nodded.

"You two can go alone then."

Yori suppressed a sigh and looked at Kaiba again. "Come now, Kai. Don't be stubborn."

"I can deal with that green-haired brat on my own. Anyone else will just slow me down."

"I notice you're not in a hurry to push Mokuba away," she countered, raising an eyebrow.

"There's an exception to every rule."

Mokuba acted as if the words didn't matter to him one way or another but Yori caught his shining eyes and how he straightened up a bit, as if proud.

"Just come on, Kai. No one's gonna dispute your right to kick the brat's backside." She paused for a moment. "Well, Joey might, but we can sic him on Flashy if you like."

Kaiba growled. "She's mine as well."

"Point taken. Joey can pounce on one of the big five then, like the rest of us."

Kaiba shook his head stubbornly. "You can join up with the geeks if you want, but I'm not."

Yori glanced at Yami for help but his expression offered nothing. Her eyes turned to Mokuba and he gave a helpless shrug. Yori sighed.

"Alright, Kai. Here's how we'll do this." She took a step forward, cracking both sets of knuckles before flexing her fingers. "There's a very simple way to settle this dispute, and it never fails to work."

His eyebrows drew together as he studied her suspiciously.

"What?" he demanded.

With a wolfish smirk, Yori flexed her fingers again, tugging both sleeves up slightly.

"It's an easy method. If I succeed, you come with us. If I fail, then you can do your own thing."

"_What?_"

"Defend yourself, Kai. And prepare to lose."

* * *

_Authoress's Note: Yay! It's back on! I'll try to get another chapter up by **August 5th (wednesday)** and then back on schedule **August 8th.** Enjoy!_


	17. Chapter 16: The Game

_Chapter 16: The Game_

Kaiba stared, one eye twitching.

"Rock, paper, scissors?" he said slowly. "_That's_ how you want to decide this?"

Yori nodded with a smirk, one closed fist resting in the palm of her opposite hand.

"Rock, paper, scissors is the solution to all of life's decisions," she said.

Kaiba couldn't help it—he laughed. She was serious! Her voice had been firm and her expression set. He cut his laugh off with a cough, using his hand to cover the small smile that remained.

"What?" she asked indignantly. Despite her tone, her lips twitched, giving her away. "Unless you'd rather arm wrestle. I just figured this would take less energy."

Without even really knowing why, Kaiba shook his head and closed one fist, resting it in his opposite palm.

"Two out of three," Yori purred. "Call it, Moki."

Mokuba giggled. "Okay. Rock . . . paper . . . scissors!"

Kaiba held scissors. Yori held paper.

"One down," Kaiba said smugly.

Yori raised an eyebrow. "You're only half-way there. Don't get cocky."

"Ready?" Mokuba bounced in time with the three words as he said them."Rock . . . paper . . . scissors!"

Kaiba held rock. Yori held rock.

"Rock . . . paper . . . scissors!"

Kaiba held paper. Yori held paper.

"Oh ho." Yori cocked her head. "Psychic are we?"

Kaiba smirked.

"Rock . . . paper . . . scissors!"

Kaiba held paper. Yori held scissors.

"One left," Mokuba said, grinning. "Rock . . . paper . . . scissors!"

Kaiba held rock. Yori held paper.

"Welcome to the geek squad, Kai!" Yori grinned.

Kaiba could think of no reply beyond a sigh. The girl turned to Yugi and gestured through the trees.

"Lead the way!"

* * *

Krisalyn let out a small moan of pain as she came to. Pain pounded in her head like a beat, as well as through the left side of her back and her left shoulder. Then her eyes snapped open and she looked around wildly.

Malik had vanished.

Krisalyn sighed and pushed herself into a sitting position, rubbing the back of her head gently. Her back pressed against one of the boxes so she figured she must have fallen and hit it, knocking herself unconscious.

Why had she fallen?

She gave a small frown, trying to remember. Fighting with Malik . . . his rod glowed. . . . Was that it? No, no. Something else. She moved both hands to rub her temples, slipping her eyes closed. There had been another light. . . .

The door. It had come through the door.

She opened her eyes again and used the box to pull herself to her feet, grabbing her taser again. Scraps of metal and wood littered the floor; she stepped around them. When she opened the door, however, she found only an empty hallway.

She breathed a curse and jammed the gun into her belt, closing the door as she stepped out. Even though it increased the pounding in her head, she jogged back to the control room. Just to be safe, she locked the door after entering so no one could follow her.

She sank into her usual computer chair and placed her taser on top of her bag. Then she set her fingers to keys and pulled up the view from the security cameras.

She frowned in confusion at what the hallway view told her. One minute, the camera showed only a deserted hallway and the next, something just appeared in the middle of it.

"A . . . dog?" she whispered aloud, eyes fixed on what had appeared. Weirdest dog she'd ever seen. . . . Of course, security screens were always a bit fuzzy. . . .

The dog struggled through the hallway and then the door to the storage room burst open of its own accord. The light seemed to come from nowhere and blinded even the security camera. After a moment, it died down to a fierce glow right where the dog had stood before and then disappeared completely.

As did the dog.

Krisalyn stared at the screen, rewinding and replaying until the whole thing burned itself into her mind. It made no sense.

She sat back in her chair, resting her head in her hands. Events were escalating past anything she had bargained for. Krisalyn had always been a firm believer in the saying "everything has an explanation" and she still held it as true.

Except for this. What could explain any of what happened in the hallway? Or Malik's weird rod? Perhaps the rod worked like a gun, just in another shape to throw people off. LED lights could produce a light like that too. Not impossible.

But that didn't explain the hallway.

"_Krisalyn!_"

The girl snapped to attention, letting her face fall into the expressionless mask. Noah's form appeared on screen, wiping away the security pictures. Fury twisted his expression.

"I told you to enter the world!" he snarled.

"I was delayed," she replied. "It seems we have more than one intruder on our hands."

Although you don't need to know that one is a dog, she thought.

The boy muttered a curse and then gave an aggravated sigh.

"Have you dealt with it?" he asked.

"That's what I was working on."

"Well hurry up about it."

She offered no response, saying instead, "How is your plan progressing?"

His expression melted into a smirk. "Actually, it's coming along quite well. These fools are so easy to manipulate."

"Oh?" Her face remained blank.

His smirk grew. "Yes. However, I wouldn't want to distract you with any details since you've already got a full plate to deal with."

She said nothing.

"Eradicate the intruders quickly," Noah said. "I don't want any chance of something going wrong."

* * *

Despite his reputation for being sly and clever, Duke Devlin still had a nice trophy case of stupid acts over the years. At the age of six, he'd dumped grape juice on his mother's white miniature poodle because purple was her favorite color and he thought she'd like it if her dog turned purple too. At the age of ten, he'd sneaked some friends into one of his father's stores after hours just to show off and then taken the fall for it when they filched some items. At twelve, he'd stolen his father's convertible when his parents were gone and forgotten to refill the tank before his father found out.

But he'd never led someone into a life or death situation before.

Two someones in fact, and now he held the responsibility for whether they all lived or died.

Tristan and Serenity had followed him through the door just before it disappeared. When it did, it left all of them standing in a replica of the hanger the blimp should have been in. However, instead of the blimp, they were faced with a member of the Big Five—Nesbitt, as he called himself. He now looked like some giant robot he had explained as the form of his deck master, a new concept for all of them.

Then he had immediately insisted on a duel.

Duke knew only he had any hope of winning, so he volunteered for the place of opponent, trying not to think about what would happen if he lost. Nesbitt didn't give him a second glance, however, and instead pointed at Serenity. Duke and Tristan both protested fiercely against it but could persuade him for nothing more than a three-on-one duel compromise.

So now, facing Nesbitt with his new deck, Duke felt keenly aware that he was the only one who could get them out of this situation. He couldn't lie to himself; things seemed grim.

"Choose your deck masters," Nesbitt said, his voice monotoned by the robotic form.

Duke immediately knew his choice for that. He riffled through his deck until he found the card in question. Then he held it up for Nesbitt to see.

"I choose Strike Ninja."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the card disappeared from his hand. Duke blinked in surprise right as a life-size version of the ninja appeared at his side, nodding at him once. A small grin lifted Duke's lips.

"I pick . . . uh. . . ." Serenity's quiet voice faltered and Duke saw her bite her lip as she studied the cards in her hand. Then she held one up. "Goddess with the Third Eye."

The card disappeared and a tall lady in flowing green robes appeared beside Serenity. Serenity made a quiet exclamation, a smile breaking across her face.

"And mine will be Super Roboyaro," Tristan said. His deck master appeared and Nesbitt nodded.

"One last thing," Nesbitt said. "You are not allowed to discuss strategies with one another. If you do, you will automatically forfeit."

Duke groaned inwardly. Great, just what we need.

"Wait, but, how will I duel without advice?" Serenity gasped, paling.

I don't know, Duke thought with a sigh. That's just the problem.

"Don't worry about it—you know what you need," Tristan said, giving her an encouraging smile. "Just believe in yourself."

Before Serenity could reply, the floor between the three teens and Nesbitt disappeared, revealing a pit of what looked like magma below them. The red-orange liquid bubbled and gurgled, expelling waves of hot air that Duke shrunk back from.

"Charming playing field," he commented, fanning the air in front of his face.

"I do hope it doesn't make you uncomfortable," Nesbitt purred. The robotic face betrayed no smirk but Duke would have bet his family's fortune on its existence.

"Hope you're not disappointed that it doesn't." Duke slid his deck into place on his new duel disk and the lifepoint counter scrolled to 4000. He forced himself to keep his arms still at his sides and act indifferent as he asked, "Who first?"

"The female."

Tristan cursed under his breath.

"Oh, o-okay," Serenity said, a quaver in her voice. She drew a card and looked at her hand before sliding a card into play. "I'll play Shadow Tamer in attack mode."

Duke bit back a groan. Her monster had only 800 attack points.

"Serenity," he said, trying for a gentle tone, "that monster's too weak to use in attack mode."

"Oh no!" she cried, aghast. "I already messed up!"

"N-no, no, you did just fine!" Tristan assured her, giving her a grin that Duke saw right through.

This is going to be the hardest duel I've ever fought, Duke thought.

As if to prove him right, Tristan played Cyber Commander in attack mode—a monster with only 750 attack points.

Oh save me, it really is all on me, isn't it? Duke thought. He knew why Tristan had played such a weak monster (to lead Nesbitt away from Serenity) but building up his forces as soon as possible would be the better strategy. Serenity could handle one hit as long as they protected her from the future ones.

Duke drew a card and surveyed his hand. Things were definitely off to a bad start—he had no magic or trap cards.

"I summon the 13th Grave in defense mode," he said, sliding the card into place.

He caught Tristan's withering glare but ignored it. A small, vindictive part of his soul wondered if he had played it safe more to see Tristan take a hit than anything. He clenched his jaw and crushed it ruthlessly. This was life and death—there was no time to be petty.

Nesbitt played a card face down, summoned a monster called Giga-tech wolf, and attacked Serenity. Duke ground his teeth and kept his face impassive. He cursed Tristan mentally as the other teen shouted Serenity's name. Nesbitt attacked Serenity because they'd made it obvious she was the weak link. They needed to stay quiet or else they risked making it worse.

Serenity's Shadow Tamer disappeared in a burst and the girl screamed, knocked back by the blast. Duke started and had to bit his tongue to keep himself from asking her if she was okay. He needn't have bothered because Tristan did the honors.

"It felt . . . s-so real. . . ." Serenity whispered, forcing herself to her feet again. Her legs trembled but she stood tall. "It was just a surprise. I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" Tristan insisted.

She nodded.

"Now I'll activate my deck master's special ability," Nesbitt declared. "Discarding three machine monsters allows me to give each of you 500 points of direct damage to your life points. That ends my turn."

"Hold on, special ability?" Duke demanded. As soon as the words left his mouth, pain suddenly lanced through his chest, making him gasp. His lifepoints scrolled down to 3500.

He heard Tristan and Serenity's cries as well and jerked his head around in time to see the girl fall to her knees. This time, he was unable to help himself and he shouted her name.

She stumbled to her feet again and gave him a weak smile. "I'm fine. Really."

She drew a card and slid it into play on her duel disk. "I summon the Forgiving Maiden and Lady Panther in defense mode."

Duke's smile halted in its tracks as he realized that, despite what she'd said, she'd played them in attack mode. He grimaced and took a deep breath, telling himself they could make it work anyway. Somehow.

"You, uh, had the right idea," Tristan said weakly, "but to put your monster in defense mode means you put it sideways on your duel disk."

Her hands flew to her mouth as she gasped. "I did it again! I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay," Tristan assured her, sliding a card into play. "I got your back. I play the magic card Block Attack, switching all monsters into defense mode."

Duke gave a small sigh of relief. That should save them for a while.

His hopes were dashed when Nesbitt activated his face down card.

"Riryoku Field negates and destroys all magic cards," Nesbitt said. "Nice attempt, though."

Duke cussed under his breath and drew a card. He hesitated as he remembered something.

"Strike Ninja," he said, turning to face the monster. "Is his deck master the only one with a special ability?"

"Each has their own," his Ninja replied. "But I'm afraid mine cannot help you here. If you manage to attack him, then I can help."

Duke grimaced and focused on his cards. His hand was _not_ promising and there was no chance he could attack. He could only plan and hope the right card would turn up.

"I'll play Yaranzo in defense mode," he said, sliding the card into place.

Tristan scowled. "Come _on_ Duke, you're not helping."

"Yeah, your weakling Cyber Commander standing out in the open is such a better idea," Duke growled. He slid a face down card into place. "I'll end my turn with that."

Nesbitt drew. "I sacrifice my monster to summon Machine King—which I'll use to again attack the female."

Oh no you don't, Duke thought. He opened his mouth as the attack shot towards Serenity, but Tristan gave a shout before he could.

"Block it, Cyber Commander!"

"No!" Duke yelled.

Too late. Machine King destroyed Cyber Commander and Tristan's lifepoints scrolled down.

"You _idiot_," Duke fumed. "I could have protected her _without_ losing any life points."

"Oh, right," Tristan gasped sarcastically, one hand on his chest. "You haven't tried to help at all so far. Decided to start just now?"

"Duel monsters is all about luck and a quick mind. I've been waiting for the right cards."

Tristan made no response, his expression saying he didn't believe Duke in the least.

"Tristan, are you alright?" Serenity asked timidly.

Tristan gave her a tight smile. "Doing fine."

At that moment, Nesbitt activated his deck master's special ability, stealing 500 more lifepoints from each of them. Duke breathed shallowly, trying to ignore the pain in his chest. Duels were never supposed to actually hurt. There was something seriously wrong with this world.

"And I'm not done yet," Nesbitt said. "I play Backup Soldier, which allows me to bring three cards back from my graveyard. Then I'll send them right back again and activate my deck master's ability once more!"

Duke gasped in pain as his lifepoints dropped to 2500.

"This is bad," Tristan panted. "I've only got 850 left."

"It's about to get worse for you, boy," Nesbitt said. "I'll use this magic card to raise Machine King's attack strength to 3400."

"Oh no!" Serenity gasped.

"Machine King, attack her Forgiving Maiden. This means the end of the duel for you, female."

"Serenity!" Duke and Tristan shouted in unison.

Before Duke could do a thing, Tristan shouted, "Roboyaro, block the attack!"

His deck master jumped in the way just as the attack hit. Tristan fell to his knees, panting. His lifepoint count disappeared along with his monster.

"The death of your deck master means you lose," Nesbitt said, sounding pleased. "One body down."

Tristan's eyes snapped to meet Duke's.

"You better protect her," he whispered fiercely, just loud enough that Duke could hear him.

Then the floor beneath him disappeared and Tristan let out a cry, falling from sight.

* * *

_Authoress's Note: Man it's good to be back. Next chapter will be this **Saturday--the 8th**._


	18. Chapter 17: Heart

_Chapter 17: Heart_

Joey awoke to a scream echoing through his mind.

"Serenity!" he cried, on his feet in less than a second.

The light gray sky indicated the earliness of the morning. The building still stood at his back and an empty field stretched before him, ending at a forest. He and Téa were the only people in the area.

But he had been so sure that Serenity had screamed. . . .

"H-huh?" Téa's groggy voice made him look down. She sat up and yawned, a familiar golden object falling from her lap as she did so. She looked down at it, blinking.

"Where's Yug'?" Joey asked slowly.

Téa brushed her fingers over the engraved eye on the Millennium Puzzle.

"I don't know," she whispered, looking around. "He was here when we fell asleep. . . ."

Joey's blood ran cold. "If those Big Five did anyth—"

"His Puzzle wouldn't still be here," Téa interrupted, shaking her head. "No one ever takes it from him unless he gives it up first, so he must have left it on purpose."

Joey frowned. "Why would he do that?"

"Um, maybe he got up early and went for a walk or something so he didn't want us to worry," she suggested.

Joey's frown deepened, but he didn't argue. He tried to ignore the scream as it echoed in his ears again, his mind taunting him.

"Do you miss your dear little sister, Joey?"

Joey started at the voice, whirling around and bringing his fists up.

"Noah?" Téa said in confusion.

Noah didn't appear, but his voice continued the taunt, echoing in the air.

"You two must be close. Does it pain you to know you can't help her?"

"Show yer lousy face, Noah," Joey snarled. "Where's Serenity?"

"Oh she's safe, for now. Would you like to see her in her last moments?"

"That's not funny, Noah!" Téa shouted.

Joey's fists clenched tighter, his nails biting into his palms.

A sigh echoed in the air. "I can see I'm the only one here with a sense of humor. Very well then."

A door suddenly appeared not twenty feet from where they stood. Joey immediately started running for it, determined to bust in Noah's head if it disappeared before he reached it.

"One more thing." Smugness laced Noah's voice. "I hope your friend Tristan isn't that important to you."

Ice flowed through Joey's veins instead of blood; he ran faster.

"Joey, wait!" Téa cried. "What about Yugi?"

He'll understand. This is my sister.

"I'm coming, Serenity," he whispered, reaching for the door.

* * *

Yami led the way out of the forest in silence, his thoughts racing. His own mind offered him more torment than reality could.

Behind him, he could hear Mokuba telling Yori about some new games that had recently come out. The boy imitated how one monster sounded (a kind of roaring gurgle) and Yori burst out laughing. She said it sounded like fun and he'd have to show it to her, picking up the conversation again.

Yami held back a sigh, instead walking just a bit faster. To his surprise, Kaiba increased his own pace, walking next to the spirit.

"I give up," he said with a scowl, obviously bothered by something.

"I beg your pardon?" Yami asked slowly.

"Your sister's eyes," Kaiba replied, as if that explained everything.

A beat of silence. "What about them?"

Kaiba's scowl deepened. "Why are they completely unreadable one moment, and then as easy to read as if all her emotions were written across them the next?"

"Ah." Yami had to ruthlessly bite back his first four replies before he could add, "I've noticed that too. It's a sign that she's open. When she doesn't hide her emotions, it means she trusts you."

Kaiba fell silent—whether because he'd gotten his answer or because it surprised him, Yami couldn't tell. He tried not to think about it, staring straight ahead instead.

"Hey Seto, how many Final Fantasy games are there now?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Yami saw Kaiba glance over his shoulder at his younger brother. "Seven or twelve."

"That's a pretty big gap." Yami could practically hear Yori raising an eyebrow.

Kaiba chose to make no comment, looking ahead again. After a few more minutes, Mokuba called Kaiba back for something and Yori drifted up to walk beside the spirit.

"Something's bothering you," she said quietly.

"It's nothing."

"No it's not," she insisted. "It's been bothering you since just after Dante left."

Trust her to be so perceptive without looking like it. Yami shrugged.

"It's just. . . ." Yami cleared his throat and murmured, "I finally had someone there who could have known about my past. Someone who actually could have been there. . . . But he didn't know anything."

It wasn't the biggest reason he was upset, but it was true. He felt the back of Yori's hand brush his and he wondered absently if it had been accidental.

"He gave us a clue though," Yori said, her voice encouraging. "Since it was possible to meet Dante, maybe we could meet Kisara."

"Maybe," Yami agreed, his mind telling him cruelly that is was a shame his second problem couldn't be as easy to solve.

* * *

Serenity screamed as Tristan fell. The hole he'd fallen through closed immediately and Serenity fell to her knees, tears spilling down her cheeks. Her cards fell from her slack grip, littering the ground.

"Tristan. . . ." she heard Duke whisper in shock.

She screamed again in denial, burying her face in her hands.

"It's a-all my fault," she sobbed. "Tristan. . . . It's my fault!"

"Serenity, don't blame yourself," she heard Duke protest.

"He lost protecting me!" she screamed, shaking her head. The flow of tears came faster, leaking through her fingers.

More than just lost. . . . It wasn't just a card game this time. He'd lost his soul—his life!

She sobbed harder, wrapping her arms around herself. Dimly, she heard the big five member tell her to take her turn. She didn't care. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Tristan was. . . . Tristan. . . .

"What do you think you're doing?" Nesbitt demanded suddenly.

Not a beat after he said the words, a strong pair of arms wrapped around Serenity, pulling her close to a warm chest. Opening her eyes, she could make out Duke's red, sleeveless vest through her blurry vision. She clung to him and cried even harder, more than she thought possible.

"I'm sorry, Serenity," Duke murmured, holding her tightly. In a louder voice, he called to Nesbitt, "Relax you junk heap, I'm still in the game. Skip Serenity's turn this time."

"It makes no difference to me whether she takes her turn or not, but you must return to your dueling spot."

"There's a reason duel disks are portable," Duke snarled. "I can control my monsters just fine from here."

After a pause, Nesbitt's voice sounded grudging as he said, "Very well."

Duke rubbed Serenity's back gently with one hand before moving it to draw a card. She didn't know how he worked with both his hand of cards and his duel disk without releasing her, but she was grateful.

"It's m-my f-fault," she whispered again, almost choking as her throat tightened. The tears stung her eyes, burning hot against her skin. In her mind, she could see Tristan fall again and again.

Duke's arms tightened a bit more.

"It's not your fault," he whispered. "I'm the one who led you both into this. It should have just been me."

Part of her—angry and hurt—wanted to shove him away and scream that it _was_ his fault. That it should have just been him fighting. That he was the only one who really knew how to duel and he should have done something.

She clung to him tighter, burying her face in his chest.

"It s-shouldn't have b-been a-anyone," she sobbed.

He was quiet for a moment and then she felt his arms move slightly.

"I'll sacrifice both of my monsters to summon Orgoth the Relentless," Duke said. "Then I'll activate my face down card—Gambler's Dice. If I roll an even, Orgoth's attack points get doubled for one turn. An odd means they get cut in half."

"You're betting the game on this. Quite the gamble," Nesbitt said. He chuckled as if he'd made a great joke.

"A six. Looks like Orgoth can take your Machine King out of the picture now."

"Looks like your luck's improved since Tristan's out of the picture now."

"Shut up," Duke snarled. Serenity let out a strangled sob, hearing Tristan's cry as he fell echo in her mind.

An unfamiliar deep voice said something. In response, Duke said, "Now I'll activate Strike Ninja's special ability. By destroying one of your monsters and sending one card in my hand to the graveyard, he can attack your lifepoints directly."

"What?" Nesbitt cried.

Suddenly, another voice shouted, "_Serenity!_"

Serenity's eyes snapped open and she pulled away from Duke just a bit, trying to see past her tears.

"Joey?" she whispered.

"Joey!" Duke shouted. Before Serenity could move, he helped her to her feet. One arm remained around her shoulders and he used the other to point at a balcony above them.

"Serenity! What happened?!"

Serenity scrubbed at her eyes furiously so that she could make out her brother leaning over the railing almost far enough to send him tumbling over the edge. She breathed a sigh of relief to see him, but then the thought of him falling brought back the image of Tristan. Her throat tightened and she shook her head, looking away.

"Serenity?" Joey sounded confused. "Hey Duke, what's going on? And . . . wasn't Tristan with you? Where . . . where is he?"

He sounded as if he already knew the truth but was begging for someone to deny it. The tears burned again.

"Tristan . . . lost," Duke answered, the words slow and forced.

"Wha . . . ?"

Serenity hung her head, unable to look at her brother.

"Yes, that fool lost. And you two have now delayed enough to forfeit."

"No way!" Duke shouted, spinning back to face Nesbitt at the words. "Orgoth, wipe out his Machine King. Strike Ninja, direct attack!"

Serenity heard a clash as the two monsters met and then a cry of pain from Nesbitt.

"Not good enough," Nesbitt panted. "I still have 700 lifepoints left."

"I'll place a card face down and end my turn," Duke said, the words sounding as if they came through clenched teeth.

"He's really . . . gone?"

Serenity winced at the hopelessness in her brother's voice. She bit her lip, wiping away tears even as more took their place.

After a beat, all Duke said was, "Yeah."

She heard a metallic clang, as if Joey'd slammed his fist into the metal wall or railing. She wondered if he was crying but couldn't bring herself to look. She knew Joey and Tristan had been best friends for years—even before they met Yugi or Téa. He probably felt even worse than she did.

And it was all her fault.

Her knees trembled, almost giving out. Duke held her steady, his arms encircling her once more. She heard Nesbitt say something but she couldn't make out the words. Everything seemed far away. Everything except that image of Tristan falling. . . .

Then she felt a tremor run through Duke's arms, bringing her back to reality.

Serenity looked up at him—even through her tears she could see suppressed pain reflected on his face.

"Duke?" she whispered. He didn't answer.

She looked around the field and saw that Nesbitt himself had stepped onto the field, but his form had changed into a different robot. In shock, she realized that Duke's monster had disappeared. She looked down at his lifepoint counter; it read 900. Even as her heart skipped a beat, she reasoned that he still had more than Nesbitt.

"This is the end for you," Nesbitt said, his voice ringing with triumph. "I activate the magic card Meltdown. It allows me to take half of my monster's attack points right out of your lifepoints, and you don't have 1850 lifepoints to spare!"

"Duke!" Serenity screamed, clinging to him right as a bright light engulfed them both. She wouldn't lose him too!

However, when the light cleared, they were both still standing. In disbelief, Serenity looked at his lifepoint counter. It said he still had 50 lifepoints.

Duke took a shaky breath. "Nice try, metal-head. You activated my trap card—Plan B. It raises my lifepoints by 1000 when they're attacked directly."

"I think you scared me outta half my life there, dicey," Joey called, the relief evident in his voice.

"Same here," Duke muttered.

"That m-makes three of us," Serenity added, sniffing and rubbing at her eyes. Duke's arms tightened around her a bit.

"I end my turn," Nesbitt snapped. "If the female skips again, it will mean an automatic fail."

"Bull!" Duke snarled. "It's within the rules to pass your turn as much as you want!"

"I make the rules here."

"That ain't fair!" Joey protested.

"Neither is what Kaiba did to us. Make your move, female, or else your body will be ours."

Serenity had the feeling Duke and Joey held a glaring contest with Nesbitt before Duke finally sighed.

"Sorry, Serenity," he murmured. "You can do it. I believe in you."

Serenity shook her head, biting her lip. "I can't. I-I'm what m-made Tristan lose."

"Step away from her, boy," Nesbitt said. "She must make her move without assistance. Otherwise it will be an automatic forfeit for both of you."

"I'm not telling her how to duel!" Duke snapped.

"Step away now. My patience grows thin."

There was a horrible moment of silence, and then the warmth of Duke's arms left her.

"Duke—" She forced herself to stop. She couldn't risk losing him too.

He backed up until he stood in Tristan's previous spot.

"This far enough away for you?" he demanded, his voice bitter.

"Affirmative."

Serenity looked down at her hand of cards, littered across the metal floor. Her legs trembled and she closed her eyes, a few more tears making their way down her face.

"Make your move, female."

She shook her head again. She just couldn't.

"Serenity, you can do it." Duke's voice. No she couldn't.

"Serenity, look at me."

She paused. Joey's voice. The plea in his words made her tilt her head back, her eyes sliding open.

"You can do this," Joey said firmly. "I know ya can. Ya can't just give up 'n let him win. Not after what he did to Tristan."

"But Joey. . . ." She took a shuddering breath. "I-I'm a terrible duelist. I'll o-only make things w-worse."

She thought she saw the ghost of a smile cross his face.

"I ain't too good myself," he said. "Just ask rich boy." Before she could protest, he went on, "But the truth is it don't matter. Skills don't mean a thing next to heart. I dunno what it is about this game but something in it recognizes heart. If you're determined and you fight with everythin' you got, you won't regret it."

She felt the faintest stirrings of hope. Her legs trembled and she bit her lip.

"Honest?" she whispered.

Somehow he heard her and a gentle smile lifted his lips. "Cross my heart, sis. So give it your all and trash this guy—for Tristan."

Serenity knew Joey wouldn't lie. Slowly, she nodded. She knelt and gathered her fallen cards again, sliding back to her feet and facing Nesbitt.

"Alright." She took a deep breath, still a bit shaky. "H-here goes."

She drew a card and then stared at her hand, wondering what she could do. What did she know about Duel Monsters?

With a start, she remembered having a conversation with Tristan about the game once. She'd asked him to teach her about it while they rode the train. Pretty basic—he'd told her attack mode, defense mode, four main types of cards . . . and fusion.

Fusion. She looked down at her hand again, one card's meaning suddenly dawning on her. The Quick Attack card. The word _Magic_ rested in the corner of the text box and the little caption read: _Allows fused monsters to attack immediately, bypassing the one-turn wait._

She could hear Tristan's voice again, clear as a bell, telling her, _"You can fuse two or sometimes three monsters together to form stronger monsters with Polymerization."_

Well . . . she still had her Lady Panther and Forgiving Maiden. But she had a monster in her hand that was stronger than both of them—although not as strong as whatever monster Nesbitt had become.

"I'll s-sacrifice Lady Panther to summon Marie the Fallen One," Serenity said, sliding the Lady Panther card into her graveyard and placing Marie the Fallen One in its place.

She looked at her hand again.

"Oh no," she whispered. "I don't have Polymerization. . . ."

"My lady."

She jumped at the unfamiliar voice, realizing after a moment that it belonged to her deck master.

Goddess with the Third Eye inclined her head in a polite bow. "My special ability may perhaps be of use here. I can fuse with monsters without a Polymerization card."

What luck. Serenity breathed a sigh of relief and then paused as another idea occurred to her. She whispered something to Goddess and her deck master nodded.

"Alright, Nesbitt," she said, her eyes flashing even as they still glittered with tears. "By sacrificing 100 lifepoints, I'll activate my deck master's special ability and fuse my two monsters together to form St. Joan."

Nesbitt laughed. "What was the point of that? Your monster still isn't strong enough to beat me."

Serenity didn't reply, saying instead, "Then I'll fuse St. Joan with my deck master to form Prophecy Goddess."

Nesbitt stilled, his eyes locked on her new monster—a monster that beat out his own by several hundred attack points.

Serenity hoped she was playing the card correctly as she slid her magic card into one of the duel disk slots. It glowed and the card appeared on the field so she hoped so.

"I'll use Quick Attack so that Prophecy Goddess can take you down right now," she said. Her heart rose just a bit as her monster darted forward and she shouted, "This is for Tristan!"

"_No!_"

Despite his cry, Nesbitt could do nothing. Prophecy Goddess's slash caught him across the chest and his lifepoints scrolled down to zero. The floor opened beneath him and he disappeared.

Unable to help it, Serenity spun to face Tristan's standing spot, hoping against hope to see a familiar brunette there once more.

But Duke stood alone.

"No. . . ." Serenity whispered. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Joey drop from the balcony, running towards her. Her legs trembled and her eyes burned once more.

"I don't know why," she said quietly, "but I-I just thought that if we won . . . maybe. . . ."

Warm hands grasped her shoulders; she turned and threw her arms around her brother.

"Don't worry, Serenity," Joey said, hugging her tightly. "I ain't letting those goons keep Tristan without a fight. As long as we're in this world, we can still find him."

"That's gonna take an awful lot of luck," she heard Duke say. "I don't think Noah or the Big Five will let us anywhere near their 'prize.'"

"Luck is my middle name," Joey replied. The words were grim rather than cheerful but they gave Serenity hope.

"Come on," Joey continued. "Let's look for a door—maybe it'll lead us to the others."

* * *

_Authoress's Note: Sorry this is late--not my fault! FFN was having problems again; at least they're fixed now. Hope you enjoyed the chappie. There will be more on Yami's problem and Téa later, as well as a surprise next **Saturday the 15th!**_


	19. Chapter 18: Paradox

_Chapter 18: Paradox_

Noah sighed at Nesbitt's defeat, forcibly reminding himself that at least one of the Big Five had managed to get a body. And the two greatest duelists of the five had yet to fight anyone.

However, he had another problem to deal with.

After realizing that the intruder's presence had faded, Noah had resumed his post of watching and directing movements. Sometime in the night, Seto's little band had picked up yet another companion. Amazing that someone so cold had so many shadows—even more amazing considering the newest addition happened to be Seto's biggest rival.

With another sigh, Noah set up manipulations. He wanted everyone there to witness Seto's defeat, but didn't want them there to see the visits to the past. The poor little puppets would just have to be jerked around a bit.

He waved his hand, creating two new portals.

* * *

"Oh and Rock Band! I bet she'll love that since she sings and plays guitar!"

Kaiba shook his head at his younger brother, hiding his amusement. Mokuba had gone absolutely nuts with the introduce-Yori-to-video-games idea and now seemed determined to list every single game in existence that she might possibly like.

Kaiba glanced up at Yori again. She and her brother didn't seem to be talking, just walking next to each other.

Yugi sure seemed weird. Ever since showing up, he'd been acting completely out of the norm. Almost like—

At that moment, before Kaiba's eyes, the ground beneath everyone else opened up. Before he could react, they fell through with startled cries and the hole instantly disappeared.

"Mokuba!" Kaiba shouted in panic.

Before he could move, he felt the ground give way beneath his own feet. The hole above him closed and he fell in darkness, unable to tell if he fell through a pipe or just through open space.

He hit the ground hard, back first. The air escaped his lungs and he gasped, a grimace on his face. Ignoring the ache in his back, he pushed himself to his feet, blinking owlishly in the darkness. It began to slowly fade and he could make out the dim shape of a building looming before him. The more the darkness retreated, the more familiar the building became until, finally, he recognized it.

The muscles along his jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth.

He stood before Gozaburo Kaiba's mansion.

* * *

Krisalyn looked at the security-camera-view of every room until she finally found Malik. Surprisingly, she found the dog in the same room.

Even more surprising, they were both unconscious. And another dog had joined them, one that looked almost blue.

Krisalyn stared at the screen until she shook her head and came to a decision. The easiest way to deal with everything would be to just accept and act. She locked down the room they were in and set an alarm that would warn her the moment anyone touched the door.

Then she rubbed her eyes and checked on everything in the virtual world. The teens were in four groups now—two of them being Mokuba and Seto Kaiba alone. She paused at the last and watched Seto on screen.

Seto looked shell-shocked as he stared at a mansion that loomed before him. Krisalyn paused out of curiosity—she saw no reason as to why a building should bother him.

He walked forward slowly, as if in a trance, and reached for the front door. Before he touched it, the scene changed to the middle of a grand hall. At one end, walking towards Seto, a portly man led a younger version of Seto and Mokuba.

Then it clicked; they were in Gozaburo Kaiba's mansion.

Krisalyn frowned darkly, remembering that Noah had told her that even though Gozaburo raised Seto, the boy had always been ungrateful and, as soon as Gozaburo went missing, Seto had his mansion destroyed. No wonder it unsettled him a bit.

She reached for the button to close the screen, shaking her head in disgust. However, at that moment, the scene changed and a loud sound made her pause once more.

_Snap!_

She looked back at the screen in time to see young Seto jerk awake, jolted by the sound of a switch hitting the books piled before him.

"I apologize, Professor," the portly man from before said to a second adult in the room. "It seems Seto is slacking in his lesson."

Krisalyn saw Seto's expression tighten like he wanted to say something, but he held his tongue.

"Gozaburo does not tolerate slackers, Seto," the heavy-set man said in a falsely-pleasant voice, tapping the switch against his palm. "If you take this lightly, you and your younger brother will be back in that orphanage in a heartbeat."

"I understand, Hobson," young Seto said, straightening up in his seat. Krisalyn saw the older Seto clench his fists at his sides.

Before she could think of reaching for the button again, the scene did another switch, showing a dinner table. Gozaburo Kaiba sat at the head of the table while Seto and Mokuba held seats across from each other at the other end.

"So, Seto," Gozaburo started, uncorking a bottle of wine, "what is your vision for Kaiba Corp.'s future? What would you do with my company's power?"

Krisalyn moved her hand to rest in her lap, curious about what the boy's answer would be.

"Well," young Seto said slowly, "I want to build a Kaiba Land."

Krisalyn cocked her head to the side at the same time that Gozaburo frowned.

"What's what?" the man asked gruffly, taking a gulp of his wine.

Before Seto could explain, Mokuba jumped in with a broad grin.

"It'll be like Disneyland, only cooler! It'll be full of every game out there and all the ones that Seto will make, and it'll be set up so that orphans and kids who usually couldn't do stuff like that can visit!"

Krisalyn couldn't help a small smile at the young boy's enthusiasm. Gozaburo, for his part, had gone completely still. Young Seto grinned along with his brother but it faded as he looked at his guardian.

"Sir?" he asked hesitantly.

"Utter nonsense!" Gozaburo growled. "That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard; games are worthless!"

"Games aren't worthless!" Seto protested. "They take your mind off things and let you be whoever you want to be for a while. Everyone can use that sometimes."

"If you are to take over my company someday, we must rid you of these childish fantasies," Gozaburo snapped. "Tonight, Hobson will confiscate all of your toys. Get your mind off games so you can learn how to really rule."

The young brothers both looked horrified. Gozaburo ignored them and went back to his dinner, muttering about foolish, immature children.

Krisalyn's eyes wandered to the older Seto. The teen had a look of utter hatred and fury on his face, aimed directly at Gozaburo Kaiba. Krisalyn's eyes widened a bit as she stared at him.

The scene changed again, this time to that of a large bedroom. Despite its size, it had hardly anything in it. A couch rested next to a coffee table and a window sat next to the large bed. Two bookshelves sat against one wall but one was completely empty and the other held only thick volumes that looked like text books.

Hobson settled a backgammon board into a medium-sized box on the coffee table, on top of a few other games. Off to his side, young Seto watched with his fists clenched, looking very tempted to snatch the box away from the portly man.

"Tsk, tsk, Seto," Hobson said, adjusting his round glasses. "You mustn't play games when you have studies to attend to. Listen to Mr. Kaiba and learn well if you ever want a good life." He picked up the box and left the room.

Young Seto slammed the door after him and then collapsed on the couch, one arm dangling over the side. He let out a sigh and curled his other arm under his head like a pillow. His eyes just started slipping closed when the door opened.

The boy sat up immediately. Hobson reentered the room and handed Seto a book.

"You really must keep better track of your books—your brother shouldn't have them," the man said in that irritatingly false-cheery tone. "Don't forget you still have one more lesson tonight.

As soon as he left again, Seto chucked the book across the room with surprising force. It struck the wall and spilled something across the floor. Young Seto's eyes widened in obvious surprise and he retrieved the book, sitting with his back against the wall. Krisalyn could see that the book pages had been hollowed out to create a hiding place. As Seto picked up the items that had spilled from the book, she could see they were Duel Monster cards and a folded up sheet of paper.

Young Seto unfolded the paper and quietly read aloud, "Remember, they can't take away everything. I'll always be here. Love, Moki."

He smiled and picked up the cards, flipping through them. In surprise, he held up one that was nothing more than a sheet of paper with a childish drawing of a blue dragon. Written across the top in shaky letters that matched the ones on the note, Krisalyn could see 'Blue Eyes White Dragon.' At the bottom it said 'Attack: Awesome!' and 'Defense: Awesome!'

Young Seto's smile widened and he whispered, "Thanks, Moki."

Krisalyn's eyes went to the real Seto again. He had looked away and his eyes were closed. He looked . . . sad. And almost . . . longing.

Krisalyn closed the window and shook her head. So he had some rocky spots in his past—so did almost everyone. So what if he looked sad? It didn't concern her. He'd still done enough wrongs to rule out being a good person.

And it would all be settled soon.

* * *

'_I will skewer you and roast you on a spit. I will feed you to the demons of Rakaar. I will turn you into jerky—not that I would ever eat it. I will—'_

Shadi sighed heavily, attempting to block out the furious ranting of the only other conscious being in the room.

Dante had started his list of what-I-will-do-to-you-as-soon-as-I-escape just after Shadi had transported them all to the new storage room. The dragon's ideas seemed endless and the sound of his voice in Shadi's mind had become rather annoying.

'_I will trap you in a pit of shadow creatures and throw sticks at you. I will follow you around for the rest of your life and jab you with sticks. I will tell my younger brother to use you as a target in his training exercises. I will set your turban on fire and then as soon as you get a new one, I'll set that one on fire too—'_

"Do you enjoy the sound of your own voice?" Shadi asked mildly, rubbing one temple.

'_I enjoy my freedom,'_ the dragon responded, his voice heated.

"I cannot give you that."

'_I will have Talon freeze you into a solid ice block. I will hang you from a tree by your toes. I will throw you off a cliff. I will invoke—'_

Shadi sighed again, a bit of irritation finding its way into the motion this time.

"Nothing you say will change my mind," Shadi said.

Dante paused for a moment. Then he hunkered down in his magic cage.

'_Nothing I say, hmm? Let me ask you something.'_

Shadi regarded him for a moment. "Continue."

'_Do you follow the will of your gods?'_

Shadi stiffened. "Of course."

'_You say my mistress and I are important to the fate of the entire world. __You also say you follow the will of the Egyptian gods. I say you are lying through your teeth.'_

"Oh really. May I ask the cause for this statement?"

'_If the fate of the world really does depend on us, even a bit, why would the gods want us apart? You don'__t follow anyone but yourself.' _The dragon slammed its tail against the bars of magic and snarled,_ 'Your own selfish self.'_

Shadi forced his temper down and replied calmly, "I assure you my intentions are—"

'_The road to the underworld is paved with good intentions. The road to paradise is paved with good actions.'_

"A murderer may believe he is carrying out a good act," Shadi said, his voice frosty.

'_Exactly,'_ Dante said, surprising the Egyptian. He leaned forward in his cage, crimson eyes gleaming. _'One's own interpretation has just as much chance of being corrupted as correct. I say we let the gods decide.'_

"You wish me to call on the gods?"

'_Not just __any gods. I want you to go all the way to the top.'_

"Ra?" Shadi breathed. He shook his head. "This matter is already settled. I will not waste the Sun God's time."

'_Then you prove your deceit,'_ Dante said, eyes flashing. _'By your refusal to contact Ra, you show that he would not agree with your actions.'_

Shadi's fingers twitched at his sides. "I show no such thing."

'_Prove it!'_

"I will not waste—"

'_I will shoulder responsibility for __everything if it angers Ra,'_ Dante interrupted. _'Now, prove your actions lead you to paradise.'_

Shadi stared at him in silence, his face devoid of expression. The dragon kept his gaze.

Finally, three words shattered the silence.

"So be it."

* * *

_Authoress's Note: I had a ton of fun with this chapter! And now I want to play Rock Band . . . and poke Shadi with sticks. . . . Next update on **Saturday the 22nd.**_


	20. Chapter 19: It's a Date

_Chapter 19: It's a Date_

Feeling the ground disappear beneath his feet disoriented Mokuba enough that he couldn't catch himself when it reappeared. Instead, he wound up falling to his hands and knees. The ground felt cold and it took a moment before Mokuba realized he'd gone from grass to metal sheeting.

"Yug'!"

Mokuba looked up in time to see Joey launch himself at Yugi. The blonde hooked an arm around his friend's neck, grinning.

"Where'd ya disappear to earlier?" Joey asked. He waved his free hand and added, "Not that I was worried or anythin'."

Mokuba rolled his eyes; Joey's obviously-forced, breezy expression made the added statement unconvincing. As an uncomfortable-looking Yugi said something about Yori being in danger, a hand moved to hang in front of Mokuba's face.

"Ever plan on getting up off the floor?" Yori asked, her smile taking away any sting the words might have held.

The boy smiled back sheepishly and took the offered hand, letting her pull him to his feet. Before he could thank her, his stomach sank.

"Seto's not here?" he whispered.

Yori's smile disappeared as she shook her head. She turned to face Duke and Mokuba realized that only Seto, Tristan, and Téa were missing from their original group.

"You look upset." Yori's voice brought his mind back to the people nearest him.

Duke looked away.

"We ran into one of the big five earlier," he said. "Tristan lost."

Mokuba stared at him in shock, noticing that everyone else had fallen quiet as well.

"He wouldn't have if I would have been just a little smarter," Duke said, still not meeting anyone's eyes, "or a little faster."

"Duke, I don't know what happened, but I'm sure you—"

"Yeah, you don't know what happened," Duke interrupted Yori harshly. "It was up to me and I'm the one that failed, but Tristan had to pay for it instead."

He spun away, walking towards one of the exit doors of the hanger they stood in.

"Oi, Duke. We'll find him and get him back from those corporate creeps and then it won't matter," Joey said.

In a frustrated gesture, Duke struck out at a pile of boxes set against the wall. The top two hit the floor, spilling styrofoam peanuts everywhere, and Duke turned back to Joey.

"What if we can't?" he demanded. "What if we can't get him back? What if it's permanent?"

"It can't be. . . ." Serenity whispered, sounding on the verge of tears.

"We _will_ get him back," Joey said fiercely. "Because I ain't leaving this world without him, even if I gotta hang that brat Noah upside down by the ankles and shake him 'til he tells us where Tristan is."

Duke locked eyes with Joey for a moment and then looked away.

"Sorry," he said quietly. "I just. . . ."

"Don't worry about it," Joey said. "I'm worried too, but I know we'll find him."

Duke sighed, running a hand through his bangs. "Think positive, huh?"

"It ain't really thinking positive if it's just what's gonna happen," Joey said with a smile.

Duke just shook his head but a smile tugged at the corner of his lips as well. Mokuba stared at Joey in surprise—he hadn't really realized how determined the teen could be.

Then something else caught his eye.

Mokuba turned to face the boxes' spilled contents. Amongst all the peanuts, a bit of metal peeked through. The boy walked forward and dug through the styrofoam until he pulled out a brown, robot monkey.

"Hey, look at this," he said, turning around with a smile.

Yori raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"It's a robot monkey," Mokuba said.

"Does it do anything?" Joey asked, cocking his head to the side.

Before Mokuba could respond, a familiar drawl joined the conversation.

"Mokuba, put that down. We've already got one monkey in the room."

"Seto!" Mokuba cried happily, turning to face his brother. Seto had appeared off to the left of everyone, rubbing one temple like he had a headache.

"Eh, what'd you say, rich boy?!" Joey demanded.

The headache didn't keep Seto from smirking. "You responded to the title so it must be true."

"Why I aughta—"

"Do what?" Seto interrupted, lowering his hand and raising an eyebrow. "Throw a banana at me?"

"_That's it!_"

Joey dived at Seto only to be stopped by Yori. She looked suspiciously on the verge of laughing, though she didn't.

"Calm down Joey," she said. "There are some much more deserving targets."

Joey tried to wrestle past her. "He deserves it; he's asking for it!"

Yori gave a sigh. Before she said anything, Joey twisted out of her grip. He dived forward again at the exact same moment she hooked his ankles with one of her legs. The blonde let out a yelp and fell face-first towards the metal floor. He didn't hit, however, because Yori caught one of his flailing arms, jerking him back up.

"You're making a fool of yourself, Joey," Yori said bluntly. "Would you attack me if I teased you?"

Mokuba couldn't help a giggle as Joey flushed.

"He ain't teasin'—he's insultin'," Joey insisted, but he didn't lunge at Seto again.

Yori tilted her head to look at Seto. "Maybe you should work on your delivery, Kai. This is the second person today I've had to hold back from attacking you, and the other could have roasted you alive."

Seto rolled his eyes. "Please. The most that mutt could do is give me rabies."

"_Say what?!_"

"Not you, Joey," Yori assured him. "Another mutt."

Joey's look turned positively wounded and Mokuba burst out laughing, as did Duke.

"Er, sorry, that wasn't what I meant," Yori said, looking sheepish.

Serenity stepped forward, a fond smile on her face. "It's okay, bro. Dogs are so adorable it's kind of like a compliment, isn't it? And not just adorable—they help people all the time and even save lives."

Joey perked up instantly, beaming. Yori shook her head and smiled.

"Only the trained ones," Seto said. "Tell me, Wheeler, how well do you fetch?"

Joey stiffened but ignored him. Mokuba smiled and looked down at the monkey in his hands again. A little button rested just behind one ear and, curious, Mokuba pressed it in. The monkey hummed like a system booting up. He turned it in his hands so he could look at the screen that served as a face. After a moment, closed eyes, a nose, and a mouth appeared in blue on it. The eyes blinked open and stared at Mokuba. A moment later, the monkey began chattering.

"Aw, cute!" Mokuba heard Serenity say. Mokuba grinned.

"I wonder if it does any tricks. . . ." Mokuba mused aloud.

The monkey fell silent for a moment, blinking at him again. Then it began chattering fiercely, its expression turning angry. Mokuba blinked.

"Kind of an ornery little guy," the boy said.

Without warning, the monkey screeched, waving its arms in Mokuba's face. Surprised, he dropped it. It flailed around in the styrofoam, throwing peanuts everywhere.

"Fascinating," Seto said mildly, coming up behind his brother. "Come on, Mokuba. We still need to find Noah."

Mokuba nodded, turning away from the weird little robot. It screeched again and he glanced back in time to see Serenity pick it up, at which it immediately quieted.

They left the hanger and walked out into the deserted street. Tall buildings lined each side of the paved road; nothing stirred except a gentle breeze.

"Don't you geeks have anything better to do?" Seto asked, irritation lacing his voice.

Mokuba turned and realized that everyone had followed the two brothers out. He bit back a smile.

"What are you talking about?" Yori said innocently. "We just happen to be going this way."

Seto scoffed but said nothing. He turned and made his way down the street. Mokuba grinned at Yori as soon as his brother's back had turned. She smiled back and they started after Seto.

* * *

Téa sighed, rubbing the small cut on her cheek from the rock chip the day before. Bored. Bored and worried. Very worried.

She twisted her fingers in the grass at her side. Joey still hadn't come back, and neither had Yugi. Who knew where they were or what the big five could have done. . . .

Stop that, Téa, she commanded herself fiercely. Yugi and Joey could handle it.

She looked down at the golden item in her lap. The eye engraved on the front seemed to stare back and Téa frowned, finding it a bit unnerving. To think that the Pharaoh had to live in something like that. . . . Well, all of it seemed odd to her because she didn't really understand how anything related to the Pharaoh worked. If he lived in there, how did Yugi talk to him?

Feeling a bit foolish, Téa said aloud, "Pharaoh?"

No one answered and she tried again. "Yami?"

Still nothing. She sighed.

Then another thought occurred to her. Before she could rethink it, she slipped the puzzle around her neck.

Immediately, someone appeared before her. However, instead of the Pharaoh, it turned out to be Yugi.

"Finally decided to put the puzzle back on, Yami?" Yugi spouted angrily almost before he finished appearing. "So considerate of you! Just like telling me you were taking it off in the first place! Did you think how . . . worried. . . ."

He trailed off, blinking owlishly as he stared at Téa.

"Yugi?" she said, eyes wide.

He eeped. "Téa! I'm sorry; I thought you were Yami!"

She giggled. "No, I just woke up and had the puzzle. I guess that means Yami's the one who disappeared instead of you."

Yugi's eyes widened. "Yami's missing?"

"Joey too," she said with a nod.

He groaned. Sounding hesitant, he asked, "Any sign of the others?"

She shook her head. After a moment, Yugi's expression went grim and he nodded his head once.

"Right, then that means we'll have to find them," he said.

Téa slid to her feet, a frown creasing her brow. "How?"

"I can kind of sense Yami when I'm in this form. It at least gives us a direction to head in—better than nothing."

Téa studied him closely for the first time. It definitely felt unnerving to be able to see through her best friend, even just a bit. Spirit form. She shook her head. She'd have to get used to the idea.

Yugi closed his eyes, frowning in concentration. After a few moments, they popped back open and he spun on his heel, taking off running along the side of the building Téa stood in front of.

"This way!" Yugi shouted, like a general charging into battle. The idea made Téa giggle.

Before she could move to follow him, Yugi seemed to slam into an invisible wall, falling flat on his back.

"Yugi!" she cried in surprise. She darted forward and knelt next to him, shaking his shoulder. "Yugi?!"

His light violet eyes slid open, staring at her in a half-lidded daze.

"You're beautiful. . . ." he mumbled.

Téa froze, feeling her face heat up. Not a moment later, Yugi's eyes snapped open all the way and he sat up, a blush crossing his own face.

"Um . . . I-I . . . uh. . . ." He paused and cleared his throat, his face coloring even more. "Um, t-there's a boundary for how far I can go from the puzzle. I, uh, forgot."

"N-no problem," Téa replied. She got to her feet and held out a hand. Yugi took the offer of assistance without meeting her eyes.

"So. . . ." She cleared her throat and pointed around the building. "This way?"

Yugi nodded. They started walking in silence. Téa tried to think of something to get rid of the awkwardness, her blush beginning to fade.

"So, does Yami do this to you often?"

Yugi shrugged. "Actually, out of both of us, I'm the one who's switched on him without warning the most. This is really rare."

"When have you switched on him?"

"Well, there was the day he spent with you—technically he didn't know about that in advance. And when Yori was about to pull me on stage I slipped out so it was him instead. Oh, and the soccer game in gym class."

Her eyebrows went up. "Soccer?"

Yugi smiled sheepishly. "Well, he needs to have more fun, and he was interested, so. . . ."

After a moment of silence, before she thought better of it, Téa said, "You know, it's okay for you to have fun too."

Yugi blinked. "Huh?"

Téa winced. But since she'd already spoken, there could be no turning back.

"You're always so worried about everyone else, Yugi. I never see you stop to take some time for yourself."

"I have fun," he said defensively. "I duel."

"Yugi Moto, life-and-death battles do _not_ count as fun!" she huffed.

He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, to be honest, Téa. . . . You know I didn't have any friends before I met you, Joey, and Tristan. Now that I know you guys, it doesn't really matter what we do. I just enjoy being together."

"_Still_," she insisted, even though she couldn't stop her smile. The expression turned thoughtful as they turned onto a street behind the building and she added, "We should do something actually fun together as soon as this whole mess is over."

"Like what?" Yugi asked curiously.

"I dunno. . . ." Téa pursed her lips, thinking back to their home town. "We could go to the arcade, or maybe an amusement park."

"An amusement park sounds fun," Yugi agreed, grinning.

"Awesome—it's a plan then!" Téa said, returning his grin.

They paused at an intersection and Yugi closed his eyes, a look of concentration crossing his face. When he reopened them, he pointed down the right street and they began walking again.

After a moment, Yugi spoke up hesitantly, "You know . . . we could go to dinner afterwards, if you wanted. After the park I mean."

Téa smiled at him. "Sounds good to me."

"So . . . um . . . it's a d-date then?"

Téa started at the selective wording. A blush colored Yugi's cheeks but he didn't take it back.

Feeling color rise in her own face, she nodded slowly.

"Um, yeah. It's a date," she said, her smile returning as her heart threatened to beat itself right out of her chest.

* * *

_Authoress's Note: PeachShipping fluff and setting things up for the next big event, hehe. Next chapter we'll see Dante and Shadi call on Ra. Hope you enjoyed! See you again on the **29th!**_


	21. Chapter 20: Prophecies of a God

_Chapter 20: Prophecies of a God_

Noah sighed as the Big Five bickered around him.

"I won this body," Nesbitt howled, his form changed into that of the boy Tristan. "It is mine and mine alone!"

"You didn't win that duel!" Krump snapped. "Those kids beat you in the end."

"Krump is right," Lector agreed.

"Are you suggesting I give it back?" Nesbitt demanded.

"No!" several voices snapped at once.

"Not that, only that you aren't automatically entitled to it," Johnson said, adjusting his glasses. "I say—"

"Oh shut up!" Noah snapped, at the end of his patience. "I'll tell you fools what to do. You will all share the body for one more duel—you may pick any opponent. Tell them that the stakes have gone even higher. If you win I'll allow you to each take a body."

After a silence, Gansley reacted first, inclining his head. "Thank you for the opportunity, Noah."

"This is your last chance," Noah warned, his eyes narrowing.

"One more chance is all we need," Johnson assured him. "We won't disappoint you."

Nesbitt scowled and said nothing. Noah waved a hand and the five disappeared.

"Get it right this time," Noah growled.

* * *

Calling on the gods could never be taken lightly. Especially not calling on Ra himself. So Shadi transported Dante and himself—locking Malik and the second dragon in the room so they wouldn't go anywhere—to an underground, hidden altar in Egypt.

'_You could take the shackles off, you know.'_

Shadi gave the magically-chained Dante a frosty glance. "I thought I should fear for my life after all the threats."

'_Fair enough.__ I am still willing to make good on those.'_

Shadi struck up a flame to light a torch. He then passed the flame to the other three torches, each one placed in a corner of the room. Last, he lit the candles lining the altar.

The design of the altar instantly testified that it had been dedicated to the Sun God. The candles cast a flickering glow on the golden raised surface and carvings completely covered the stone, telling the stories of Ra's great blessings and power. Shadi ran a hand over a few before turning away.

He replaced the torch in its wall bracket and moved to kneel at the foot of the altar.

'_Hope you do no__t need a sacrifice, because I am not volunteering.'_

Shadi ignored him. He closed his eyes and raised his arms slightly, palms facing up. In ancient Egyptian, he began chanting a whispered prayer.

After only a moment, the light in the room increased, becoming bright even to Shadi's closed eyes. The Egyptian increased the volume and speed of his chanting; the light increased with it, growing to the point it became almost painful. He continued until the prayer ended and then abruptly opened his eyes.

At the same moment, the brilliant light disappeared.

'_Ra,'_ Dante breathed.

Already on his knees, Shadi bowed to the floor.

"Arise, Guardian Shadi."

Shadi obeyed, returned to his kneeling position, raising his eyes to meet the brilliant golden ones of the Sun God.

Ra—in human form—sat on the altar as if it were a throne, back straight and arms crossed. He wore white garments covered by a billowing golden robe that spilled over the edges of the altar. Long, golden-blonde hair hung around him, curling at his legs and the altar's top. The blinding light had disappeared, but a bright glow still surrounded the god.

"Ah, Keeper Dante Varikón," Ra said, looking past Shadi. He seemed to have nothing more than a passing interest in the dragon's presence.

'_Forgive me, Lord. Have we met?'_

"Yes," Ra said, volunteering no more information than that.

'_. . . . I am afraid my memory fails me__, Lord.'_

Shadi felt a ridiculous childish urge to say something along the lines of "I told you so." He shook it off.

"That is due to a fault of your spirit mistress." Ra's eyes found Shadi's again, dismissing the Ka dragon. Dante seemed wise enough to remain silent. "Guardian Shadi, the reason for my calling?"

"It is in regards to this dragon, my lord."

"We are not unaware of the Millennium Items' difficulties."

"I thought not, Lord. I merely request to know what is to be done with . . . him."

Odd how he had to struggle to say 'him' instead of 'it.'

Ra raised an eyebrow smoothly. "I should think the answer to be obvious."

When Shadi said nothing, Ra closed his eyes, tilting his head up a bit as if basking in the rays of the sun.

"Dark events are in motion that you have not anticipated, Guardian." Ra breathed deeply, the glow around him expanding for a moment. "Consider the possibility that the items' power burst was not an accident."

"I was not aware that fate had changed in any way, Lord," Shadi said carefully.

Ra's eyes slid open, lighting on Shadi's. "You confuse fate with the future. Fate is a predetermined course, a river that will not detour. The future is as set as the clouds. One small act can send it from white to black, bringing rain. The clouds are changing, that is all."

Shadi found himself in disbelief. "So the dragon . . . ?"

"Should remain with his mistress." Ra's tone left no room for argument, even holding a chastisement. "In these coming dark times, I expect you to act to the benefit of not only this pair, but the others. You are privilege to secrets essential to the world's fate—use that knowledge accordingly."

For a moment, Shadi almost opened his mouth to argue, but he restrained. Instead, he inclined his head.

"As you wish, my lord," he mumbled.

Ra gave him a small return nod. Then, looking past Shadi's shoulder, he tilted his head slightly.

"Dante Varikón."

'_Yes, Lord?'_

"How long since you have fallen out of communication with Diego Malidar?"

A beat of silence. _'Diego Malidar? Uh . . . years, my lord. Many years.'_

"And Sin?"

'_I see him close to every day, Lord.'_

Ra gave a noncommittal, thoughtful hum. "Keep your friends close, Dante. But. . . ."

'_. . . . My lord?'_

Ra made no attempt to continue his statement. His eyes moved away from both figures facing him, gaining a glassy appearance. "We rest on the edge of war. Already, lives are at the point that they will be lost with a single word. Events are in motion that not much may stop. Be watchful, for ever you may find a friend offering you naught but a knife to the heart whilst an enemy stands at your back, reaching out a hand that you cannot see."

His eyes sharpened and the glow around him increased.

"Your words will be heeded, Lord," Shadi murmured.

Ra's eyes slipped closed and the god disappeared. For minutes, Egyptian and dragon alike sat in complete silence.

The Sun God's words felt heavy to Shadi, weighing down on his already-burdened mind. Even in death, he found no peace. Even as a spirit, his work continued.

But, hard as it may be, he had to admit his wrongs.

"I shall return you to your mistress," Shadi said, sliding to his feet.

'_About time,'_ Dante said, but he sounded subdued. It seemed Ra's warning weighed on his mind as well.

Shadi thought carefully. If the gods willed it, he had to do this. So he had best do it correctly the first time. Completely.

That meant only one option.

* * *

Maximillion Pegasus first discovered his love of painting at the tender age of five when his private tutor set him loose on a white sheet with a set of finger paints. Needless to say, just as much paint had wound up on the young boy as on the sheet. After that, his tutor had decided that it would be for the best to introduce him to the subtleties of the brush. Pegasus could hardly be found without one in his hand from that day on.

That turned out to be the case today as well. Pegasus sat next to his pool, brush in hand, working on a new monster for his Duel Monsters game. The dawn's light cast a gentle golden glow across his work-in-progress, adding to the soft colors he used. He paused for a moment to re-dip his paintbrush, his free hand fingering the cord that held his eye patch in place.

The eye patch still required some getting used to. His Millennium Eye had been stolen almost two years before, at the end of his Duelist Kingdom tournament, but he had been trapped in a coma directly after that for longer than he cared to admit. Once out, completely healed, and free of the bandages, Pegasus had considered getting a glass eye but finally decided against it. The leather eye patch had been chosen instead.

He lowered his hand to rest on the edge of the canvas again, his opposite hand resuming his work. The sky continued to lighten around him, the traces of gold light eventually disappearing.

"Good morning, Pegasus."

Oh what a dreary, deadpan voice. It could belong to only one person.

"It is indeed, Shadi," Pegasus said with a lazy smile, not looking away from his work for a moment.

"I have come to collect the item I requested you make several years ago."

"Never one to beat around the bush, are we, Shadi?"

Pegasus curved his brush strokes into long wavy locks of hair, framing a peaceful face. He glanced at the paint tray to his side and swirled his brush in a lighter brown, adding highlights.

"Having it quickly would be appreciated," Shadi said pointedly.

"It's been sitting in my possession for years and now you suddenly need it this instant?" Pegasus drawled.

"Haste is required if the world is to be kept safe from those who mean to cause chaos and destruction."

"So, in other words, yes?" Pegasus chuckled, smoothing out a few strokes. He swirled his brush in the glass of water on the paint tray, drying it on a cloth before choosing another color.

". . . . The God Cards have been stolen."

Pegasus's hand stilled mid-stroke, his right eye widening. For the first time, he looked up at Shadi.

"What?" he whispered.

"The God Cards were stolen from Ishizu Ishtar. They are now the prize of a tournament you have no doubt heard about."

"Kaiba-boy's?" Pegasus exclaimed in disbelief. "I was under the impression that he didn't even know they existed!"

"He was not the thief," Shadi said, his face as expressionless as always. "Ishizu managed to keep Obelisk and she passed the card on to Seto Kaiba. His greed and desire for power inspired the rest. His tournament was organized for the sole purpose of drawing in the thief who possessed the remaining two Gods—for that reason, one of Battle City's unique rules is that of winners claiming their opponent's rarest card."

Kaiba-boy has no idea what he's dealing with. . . . Pegasus cleared his throat.

"Did it work?" he asked.

"The thief was indeed drawn out. The tournament is drawing near its end; at the moment, Kaiba still possesses Obelisk, the Pharaoh has won Slifer, and the thief maintains his hold on Ra."

Pegasus found his disbelief growing still. "The Pharaoh? So Yugi-boy's in the tournament?"

"As well as the second place winner of your own tournament."

Pegasus's eye narrowed. "Why didn't you give the Pharaoh the God Cards before they could be stolen? They're his to control, are they not?"

"The correct time for him to have them had not yet arrived."

Pegasus highly doubted that. He knew Shadi's motives well after being on the brunt end of them so much. He often wondered how much of the Egyptian's talk of fate was correct and how much of it was his own desire to control events—and people—in the way he thought best.

However, despite his misgivings, Pegasus couldn't do much about it—he couldn't change the past.

The President of Industrial Illusions set his brush down and slid to his feet. He turned towards the door to his mansion, motioning for Shadi to follow him.

"So, might I ask why you had me make this specific card?" Pegasus said as he led the Egyptian through his home. "While intriguing and definitely a pleasure to create, the Pharaoh couldn't use it to defeat Ra."

"It is not for the Pharaoh."

Pegasus raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Shadi nodded, saying nothing else. Pegasus puzzled in silence, keying in an access code to a locked room. Perhaps the card was for Kaiba-boy—although Pegasus couldn't imagine the absolutely-opposed-to-magic teen having much to do with Shadi. Perhaps he'd changed since Pegasus had last met him.

The door slid aside and Pegasus strode into the room. Small metal cabinets lined every wall, each with its own code keypad.

"I have an extraordinary memory for passwords," Pegasus said pleasantly, not that Shadi probably cared. "It comes in handy quite often."

He led the Egyptian to one particular cabinet and keyed in the eighteen-character password. Three small clicks met their ears and the door popped open. Pegasus reached inside and pulled out two cards, each in its own protective case.

"I took the liberty of adding one, based on something the Millennium Eye showed me," Pegasus said. He paused but Shadi gave no reaction so he added, "Whoever they go to, tell the owner to take good care of them. They're one of a kind."

Shadi took them without promising anything. He stared down at the extra card Pegasus had made.

After more than a minute, he looked up and said, "I have another request as well."

Pegasus suppressed a sigh; he remained silent.

Shadi fingered the surprise card. "Another in this form, but for the Blue Eyes White Dragon."

Pegasus frowned. "For Kaiba-boy?"

"I'm afraid I must ask for this one rather quickly. In fact, having it within a few days would be ideal," Shadi said, acting as if he hadn't heard the question—a quite annoying habit he had. "I will return for it as well as the Blue Eyes Soul Card."

He stepped forward and touched Pegasus's forehead, showing the man an image of what he had in mind. Then his Millennium Key glowed and he sank through the floor, disappearing.

Pegasus sighed. "Not so much as a thank you."

He went back out to stand by his half-finished painting, giving another sigh. He caressed one side of the canvas sadly. Shadi's request would no doubt be fun but he hated to put aside a project unfinished.

He turned and went inside for a glass of wine and a fresh canvas. The sooner he completed it, the better.

* * *

Malik blinked, his consciousness rousing. The room came into focus around him and he sat up—then glared instantly at what faced him.

More specifically, who.

"It is profitable to see you awake once more," the stranger said.

Something about the turbaned man seemed familiar and Malik racked his memory, trying to remember him. When his search proved fruitless, he turned to another mind.

The shadow realm had already weakened Marik Ishtar so much that his mind barely put up a resistance as Malik shuffled through his memories. He finally landed on the one he needed and withdrew.

"Fascinating to find you here, _Shadi_," Malik purred. "What's the occasion?"

Malik's fingers flexed at his side and he didn't bother to conceal his anger at finding he no longer held the Millennium Rod.

"I find myself in need of your assistance," Shadi replied, his voice as expressionless as his face.

Malik cackled, licking his lips. "Why should I help you?"

A brief hesitation, and then Shadi said, "I will return the Millennium Rod to you if you agree, and it is also within my power to provide you with a skill you cannot otherwise obtain."

Malik paused, a smirk twisting his lips. He leaned back on his hands and cocked his head.

"I'm listening," he said.

'_I don'__t trust him!'_

Malik turned at the venomous voice. Shackles chained two small creatures in place at one corner of the room. One appeared to be unconscious, but the second—a black and red beast—faced Malik in a battle stance, lips parted in a snarl.

Malik licked his lips, his eyebrows rising in an arch. "What's this?"

"Nothing of consequence," Shadi said. "Perhaps we could return to the matter at hand?"

'_Excuse me?!'_

Malik chuckled and turned back to face the white-clad Egyptian.

Shadi hesitated again but pressed on. "I require the use of the Millennium Rod."

"You have it, use it," Malik said in a falsely-pleasant voice. His fingers twitched.

"The Millennium Rod is a temperamental item. It has chosen few people to extend its powers to," Shadi said, his tone a bit stiff. "I am not among them."

The creature chained in the corner let out a snort that sounded a bit smug. Malik crooned to himself thoughtfully.

"What is it you'd have me do with the rod? And what would make it worth my while?"

"I can give you the ability to move about completely unseen and undetected," Shadi said. His fingers brushed the Millennium Key that rested in his lap. "You have my binding word you shall have it. However, only after you have given me what I desire."

Malik considered him for a moment, his mind running over the suggestion several times. He licked his lips, as if tasting the thought.

"Perhaps there is a mutual benefit here after all," he said after a moment, a wolfish smirk lifting his lips. "What is the task?"

"I require you to use the rod's powers of mind control. You encountered a girl earlier; she is the target," Shadi said. He held up two duel monsters cards that Malik had never seen before. "Persuade her to enter these into her computer system."

Malik cocked his head thoughtfully. Not a hard task at all. Minus one thing.

"She vanished," he said bluntly. "The rod requires that I face the person I'm controlling."

"It is within my abilities to bring you face to face with her," Shadi replied.

An evil glint darkened Malik's eyes and his smirk returned. He held out his hand for the rod.

"Deal," he said.

* * *

_Authoress's Note: Foreshadowing! Mwah ha ha! Seriously though, **remember what Ra said.** It definitely comes up in the future. Hope you enjoyed the Pegasus bit as much as I did--he turned out to be a lot of fun to write. And, just so you know, you won't see it, but both Malik and Shadi make good on that deal. You'll see the results next chapter on **September 5th.** Ciao!_

_PS: Four more reviews to reach 200! Thanks so much everyone!!! _


	22. Chapter 21: The Big Challenge

_Chapter 21: The Big Challenge_

Yori watched Yami in silence. He hadn't said a word since leaving the hanger. It couldn't be more obvious that something was still bothering him, Yori just couldn't figure out what. She didn't want to put him on the spot with other ears around, but she hated to see him suffer.

More than ever, she wished she had her bracelet. Mental communication would be a definite plus at the moment.

Without warning, Yami came to a stop and jerked his head up, looking around.

"What is it?" Yori asked, pausing beside him.

"Something doesn't feel right. . . ." he whispered, his eyes scanning the rooftops around them.

"What, Yug'?"

Yami motioned for Joey to stay silent. Not a moment later, a shadowy figure appeared at the edge of one of the rooftops ahead of them.

At the head of their group, Kaiba came to a stop and shouted, "Who are you?"

"I'm wounded that you don't remember me, _Mr. Kaiba_," the figure said, stressing the name sarcastically.

"Why does everyone in this place expect you to instantly know them, Seto?" Mokuba asked, his voice exasperated.

"Don't ask me," Kaiba replied. He took another step forward and the figure leapt down to face him.

In the sunlight, not just Kaiba recognized him.

"Tristan!" several voices cried at once. The monkey nestled in Serenity's arms screeched.

"That's not Tristan," Yami said, voice grim.

"Yug' what are ya talkin' about? That's—"

"Your friend is correct. My name . . . is Nesbitt."

When Yori listened closely, she could hear the echo of another voice behind Tristan's, despite the body being his. Bleakly, she remembered that he'd lost his duel and, therefore, his body.

"Nesbitt," Kaiba and Duke snarled in unison.

"That's the creep who dueled us," Serenity whispered, holding the monkey in her arms tighter. For its part, the monkey struggled like wild, still screeching.

"Where's Tristan?!" Joey demanded, stepping forward.

"Actually, I see you've found him already," Nesbitt/Tristan said, smirking. He raised a hand and pointed at the robotic monkey. Seven sets of eyes followed his gaze and stayed there, staring.

The monkey looked around at all of them before shrinking back into Serenity's arms, chirping quietly.

"Tristan?" Serenity whispered.

The monkey nodded, falling silent.

"Oh . . . my. . . ." Joey trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words.

"Well, now the geek squad can boast two monkeys," Kaiba said, turning back to face Nesbitt.

The monkey/Tristan screeched at him, shaking a fist. Yori shook her head and looked away.

"It's not worth it to think anymore," she muttered to herself. "Just accept."

"What do you want, Nesbitt?" Mokuba demanded.

Nesbitt shrugged. "Not much. The rest of the Big Five and I are just here for a friendly duel—with the stakes higher than ever."

"All five of you?" Yori repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Nesbitt's expression darkened unexplainably. "Yes. The five of us will share this body in a duel against one of you. When we win, Noah has granted us the prize of five bodies. Now, which of you will rise to the challenge?"

"Excuse me?" Yori growled. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Duke move to stand between Serenity and Nesbitt protectively. "Five-on-one? That is _not_ happening."

"No way," Joey agreed. Yami nodded.

"Noah has ordered it," Nesbitt said.

Kaiba turned to begin walking again. "I don't take orders from Noah."

He stopped mid-stride as the ground in front of him disappeared. A fifteen-foot-wide, bottomless trench spread from in front of him to surround them all.

Nesbitt smirked. "You were saying, Mr. Kaiba?"

Kaiba snarled something probably better unheard.

Nesbitt paused for a moment, his eyes sliding out of focus. When they snapped back to reality, he scowled.

"You," he said, pointing at Yori. "My associate Gansley has called you forward to duel."

Yori hummed. "Tough one. How about . . . no."

"Do you fear us?" he taunted.

"That would be another no." Out of reflex, Yori touched her hip where her dueling deck usually rested. "I just believe in fair dueling. If there are five of you on the field, then you'll be facing five of us."

"I think not," Nesbitt said coolly.

"Do you fear us?" she shot back.

He paused, his face growing thunderous. Again, his eyes unfocused. Yori waited.

"Fine," he snapped after a full minute of silence. His eyes came back to meet hers, hinting at murder. "Five. On. Five. You'll only slow each other down, after all. Who will duel?"

"I'm so in on this," Yori said, smirking at the prospect of dueling now that the playing field had been leveled.

"Count me in!" Joey crowed.

"I'm dueling as well," Duke said, stepping forward.

Yami hesitated a moment before nodding. "I will fight."

Silence hung in the air and all eyes turned to Kaiba expectantly. His scowl grew darker by the second until he finally exploded, "_FINE!_"

"The duelists have been chosen," Nesbitt said. "Those not dueling, clear the field."

Serenity and Mokuba retreated as far back as the trench would allow, the other five teens stepping forward to face Nesbitt. They fanned out into a line, Duke on the far left, Kaiba beside him, then Yori, Yami beside her, and Joey on the far right.

The monkey/Tristan chattered loudly, almost like encouragement. Serenity and Mokuba both offered encouragement as well.

A duel disk appeared on each player's arm. Yori's fingers twitched, anticipating the beginning of the game.

"The rules of this duel will be very different than normal," Nesbitt said. A full deck appeared in his hand and he sifted through it to find five cards. He held them up and they vanished, five monsters appearing behind him at the same moment. "Each player will choose a deck master—for new players, this is a concept unique to this world. Your deck master may be any monster and each one has its own special ability. They are a companion to your lifepoints; if your deck master dies, you automatically lose. However, they remain out of play until you call them in. Choose your deck from our virtual selection and your deck master from that."

As soon as the last word left his mouth, rows of cards appeared before the five teens. Yori watched the cards scroll by and understanding dawned on her. As a Graceful Charity card appeared before her and floated up, she reached out, touching it just before it disappeared. It glowed and vanished, appearing in the air beside her as the start of a deck. She smirked and looked back at the cards again, beginning to build her deck.

When she drew close to completing her forty-card deck, Red Eyes Black Dragon appeared. With a smile, she reached for it—only to stop short as her eyes widened in shock.

Two cards had just scrolled into sight. Yori had never seen them before but she recognized them nonetheless. Mentally shaking herself, she touched them both before they could vanish, even though it meant losing her Red Eyes.

Sorry, Red Eyes, she thought. For at least one duel, I think I need to rely on someone else.

She grabbed her last four cards and the scrolling options disappeared. She plucked her chosen deck out of the air with her right hand and flipped through it, searching for one of the two unfamiliar cards.

Around her, her companions finished up their own choices.

"As you can see," Nesbitt said, gesturing at the five monsters behind him, "my companions and I have chosen Nightmare Penguin, Fireyarou, Judge Man, Robotic Knight, and Jinzo as our deck masters. It is time for you to decide your own."

"I choose Orgoth the Relentless," Duke said, starting them off. His heavily-armored monster appeared behind him.

"Red Eyes Black Dragon'll be mine," Joey said, grinning as the beast appeared.

There, he's in good hands, Yori thought. She smiled.

"I choose Dark Magician," Yami said, holding up the card. It vanished and the magician took his place behind Yami, twirling his staff.

Kaiba flipped a card around to face them, saying breezily, "Blue Eyes White Dragon."

His dragon let out a thundering roar as it appeared and a smirk tugged at Kaiba's lips. Yori wondered how much he'd actually been against the duel and how much had just been show.

She found the card she'd been looking for and held it up, barely believing the words as she said the title.

"My choice is Dante the Fire Dragon."

"What?!" Kaiba cried, the color draining from his face.

A familiar, dog-sized dragon appeared just behind her and off to her right side, the rope still tied around his neck.

And apparently in the middle of a conversation.

'_And another thing. I will have you know that the ingesting of fish bones is . . . a. . . .'_ He trailed off as everyone stared at him.

"Dante, I don't even want to know what you were talking about," Yori said, shaking her head and reminding herself of her earlier don't-think-just-accept statement.

'_Mistress!'_ he cried, leaping forward and running head-first into her legs. The sight of a dragon a fourth of her size trying to hug her nearly sent Yori into a fit of laughter.

Kaiba rubbed his temples, muttering, "Heaven help us."

'_What was that, evil one?'_

"Noah," Nesbitt said aloud, "it appears the system is causing one deck master to be faulty."

"Oh no, this is normal," Yori assured him, shaking her head.

'_Pharaoh!'_ Dante bounded over towards Yami, who had a hint of a smile on his face for the first time in a while. He skidded to a halt, staring at Dark Magician. Without warning, he leaped forward and attempted to hug the magician as well.

'_Mahad!'_ he cried, a distinctive happy note in his voice. _'It has been too long, friend!'_

The virtual Dark Magician stared at the little dragon at his feet. Yori had no doubt the magician's programming had no response to an energetic dragon attempting to hug it.

"Um, Dante," she said, sighing, "he's not actually real. Although, it's cool if you do know the real Dark Magician."

"I'm going to have to pay for therapy after all this," Kaiba muttered.

Dante's head drooped and he stepped away. _'Not real?'_

Yori hesitated, wondering how to explain. "Well, we're . . . kind of about to play a game. I'm pretty sure you're the only real creature here, although why—"

Her words were lost on the little dragon as his head snapped back up and he cried even more energetically, '_Kisara!_'

He tore across the ground towards Blue Eyes.

"Therapy," Kaiba groaned, rubbing his temples fiercely as Dante nuzzled up against one of Blue Eyes' front legs. Behind them, Yori could hear Serenity and Mokuba giggling.

Yori sighed again and stepped forward, picking Dante up and setting him back where he'd started.

"What on earth is that, Yor'?" Joey said, peering around Yami to stare at her deck master.

"Well, he's a dragon," Yori said, taking a deep breath. "A real one."

"It's a long story, Joey," Yami said, amusement glinting in his eyes.

"One of those long ones I'm better off not knowin'?"

"Yeah," Yori and Yami said in unison.

"I'm not asking either," Duke muttered.

"That's a good philosophy, Duke," Yori agreed.

'_I am confused, Mistress,'_ Dante whined, pacing at her feet.

"Enough!" Nesbitt cried, shaking his head. "Whatever that is, it doesn't matter. On with the duel."

Dante's lips parted in a snarl and he hunkered down, facing Nesbitt. _'This one is more evil than the evil one!'_

"Don't ask, don't comment," Yori mumbled to herself, pinching the bridge of her nose and closing her eyes.

Nesbitt hesitated but then seemed to decide to ignore Dante. "This duel will be a team effort. Instead of each individual having 4,000 life points, each opposing side will have 10,000. Players will be eliminated singly if their deck master is defeated, but neither side will completely lose until either all five deck masters are gone or their lifepoints reach zero. We will be paired into opponents and while you may defend any teammate, you may only directly attack your designated opponent."

"You'll only get our bodies if we completely lose, right?" Joey asked. "Even if some of us lose on our own, as long as the team still wins, we're okay?"

"Negative," Nesbitt said coolly. "We gain the bodies of each player that falls even if your team wins in the end."

"That ain't fair!" Joey cried. Yori's teeth ground as she clenched her jaw. So much for an even playing field.

Nesbitt smirked. "Life is not fair."

"However, that's no excuse," said a new voice.

A memory stirred in Yori's mind and she looked up as something materialized outside their playing field—a screen of sorts showing the head and shoulders of a red-headed girl.

"Flashy," Yori growled.

"I'm supervising this duel, Nesbitt," Krisalyn said, brushing her half-bang out of her eyes with a hand. "I know this goes against your black, corporate heart, but the only way you get bodies out of this duel is if the five of you win completely."

Nesbitt glowered at her. "You have no authority. You're just a servant to Noah!"

Krisalyn raised one slim eyebrow in a slow, deliberate manner. Her voice rang low and deadly as she replied.

"Do not forget that I'm not part of this little world, and my fingers are about two seconds away from keying in the code to erase you completely."

Yori kept her face expressionless, but she smirked inwardly. Her opinion of Krisalyn had just risen a bit.

The color drained from Nesbitt's face.

"Y-you wouldn't dare," he blustered.

Krisalyn looked down and the distinctive sound of typing met their ears.

"_NO!_" Nesbitt cried, his expression completely stricken. "We'll do it your way!"

She looked up and stared at him, silent for a moment.

"Oh," she finally said. "That's good to hear. What made you change your mind? I was just ordering online for pizza delivery—it's quite a pain when you have to arrange a helicopter for it."

Joey laughed out loud. Nesbitt's expression changed completely, going beyond murderous.

"Hmm. Well, now that things are in order, carry on." She held up a finger. "But, remember that I'll be watching, Nesbitt. Noah's made it clear this is your last chance and I intend to enforce it."

The screen disappeared and Nesbitt fumed, his knuckles whitening around his deck. With a muttered oath, he shoved the deck into his duel disk.

"Everything on the field for your team is free for anyone to use in their turn," he growled. "I will begin."

The five teens slid their decks into place and everyone's lifepoint counter scrolled to 10,000. The five monsters behind Nesbitt fanned out so they each faced one of the teens: Judge Man across from Duke, Jinzo across from Kaiba, Fireyarou across from Yori, Nightmare Penguin across from Yami, and Robotic Knight across from Joey. Nesbitt remained in the center, facing all of them.

Nesbitt drew his hand and held a card up, "Duel begin."

* * *

_Authoress's Note: Ugh, sorry this is a day late. FFN was being stupid yesterday. Grawr. Well, this marks the start of what promises to be a very long but very entertaining duel. Hope you enjoyed! See you this **Saturday--the 12th!**_


	23. Chapter 22: What is Help? Shellfish

_Authoress's Note: To make this duel less complicated for everyone, I decided to start including ATK/DEF points in brackets behind a monter's name whenever one is played. The players aren't actually saying the points or anything—they're just there for your benefit. Enjoy! _

_Chapter 22: What is Help? The Answer Lies in the Shellfish_

Joey had seen Nesbitt duel earlier so it came as no surprise when the machine-fanatic played Cannon Soldier [1400/1300] and Giga-Tech Wolf [1200/1400]. He then laid a card face-down and ended his turn.

"Alright, here we go," Joey said, grinning as he drew a card. Better play it safe for the first turn at least, he thought. "I'll play Swordsman of Landstar [500/1200] in defense mode and one face-down card."

"My turn."

Joey started as Nesbitt's voice changed, deepening and gaining a rusty note. The voice still echoed behind Tristan's normal one, but Joey could hear it all the same.

"Hey! What's the deal?!" he demanded.

A chuckle met his question. "Nesbitt is _your _opponent. You didn't think he'd stick around, did you? I'm the one facing Yugi—Krump's the name."

Joey groaned. "This duel's gonna get awful confusing, ain't it?"

Yugi gave him a small smile. "Probably, Joey."

"Don't worry about it," Yori said, waving a hand. "I'm sure we'll all get used to it."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to make my move," Krump said, snatching a card from his deck. "I play Penguin Knight [900/800] in defense mode. Thanks to my deck master's special ability, water monsters get an attack point boost so his attack level goes up to 1100."

Joey started again. "What?!" He narrowed his eyes. "That ain't a machine; why would Nesbitt have it in his deck?"

"Our decks change when we do," Krump said, as if it should have been obvious. "I'll end my turn with that."

"My move," Yugi said, drawing a card.

Joey cocked his head, watching his best friend survey his cards. Now that he was listening closely to voices, Yugi's definitely seemed off. It always sounded deeper when he dueled, but Joey usually chalked it up to concentration. Now, he thought it sounded too far off for even that.

"I'll play Feral Imp [1300/1400] and one face-down card," Yugi said, sliding them into place. "That ends my turn."

Okay, yeah, that sounded like a completely different person. What the heck? Could it be another puzzle effect?

Back in Duelist Kingdom, Joey had noticed that Yugi always looked completely different when he dueled. His hair changed, his eyes changed, the way he held himself, the way he talked, even his height seemed to change—although he still remained short. He'd asked his friend about it and Yugi'd said that it was an effect the Millennium Puzzle had on him. Of course, he'd said that it was a lot more complicated than that, but he wasn't sure if Joey could know the reality. That bothered the blonde, but he told Yugi that it was okay. He hoped someday he'd be able to help Yugi more and understand more about the Millennium Item mess his best friend got caught up in.

Someday I'll ask him about that voice thing too, Joey thought. He shook his head and tried not to think about it at the moment.

Another member of the Big Five took control, this one with a gravelly voice.

"I'll be your opponent, Yori. I am the leader of the Big Five—Gansley."

"Yugi, is it true you ran from this quack?" Kaiba asked, tilting his head back a bit so he could meet Yugi's eyes around Yori.

Yugi lifted one shoulder in a shallow shrug. "I surmised there were better uses of my time than beating him."

Kaiba nodded once, smirking. "True."

Gansley sniffed and snatched a card from his deck. While he looked at his hand, Joey inched closer to Yugi.

"Yug' . . . what's 'surmised' mean?" he whispered, cocking his head to the side.

Yugi blinked at him and then gave him a small smile. "It's the same as 'deduced,' Joey."

Feeling the tips of his ears redden, Joey said, "What's 'deduced' mean?"

This time he earned a small chuckle. "Inferred."

Joey decided to cut his losses and stop while he was ahead. He'd look up 'inferred' when he could grab a dictionary. So he simply nodded like he understood everything and looked up at Gansley again.

"I'll play one monster face-down in defense mode and end my turn," Gansley said.

Yori drew a card and looked down, spreading her cards a bit and rearranging them. At her side, the small black and red dragon bounced up and down, apparently trying to see her hand.

'_So this is a game, Mistress? How do you play it? What are these giant brown things that keep appearing on the ground? What are the other monsters for? What am I here for?'_

Joey shook his head, reminding himself the voice in his mind belonged to that dragon.

"That . . . would take a long time to explain, Dante," Yori said, hesitating as her hand hovered over a card. She chose the one next to it instead. "Just don't do anything unless I tell you to, alright? I'll play Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress [1400/1200]."

Dante jumped a foot in the air as the blue dragon appeared before Yori. He hit his feet snarling.

'_Mistress, what is this?!'_

Yori shook her head as Joey snickered. "You're going to make this duel really interesting, aren't you? That would be my monster. It's part of the game. Just go with it. I'll add one face-down card and end my turn."

Kaiba muttered darkly to himself. Dante sat back reluctantly, flicking his tail. Joey noted with interest that dried blood crusted over one part of his tail, around a fresh scab. He decided against asking.

This time, the big five member's voice held a distinct southern accent. "Ma turn now. It'll be ma pleasure ta face ya, Mr. Kaiba. D'ya 'member me?"

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "How could anyone forget that horrible voice, Lector?"

Lector chuckled. "Ya insults cain't bother me no more, Mr. Kaiba. Soon we won't have'ta worry 'bout ya."

"That is quite possibly the worst Japanese I've ever heard," Yami commented.

"Try being around it every day," Kaiba said.

"I've heard worse," Yori offered.

So've I, thought Joey. He wasn't about to say so though, in case they asked where he'd heard it.

Lector shook his head and sighed, placing a card in play. "One face-down defense monster should do it fa me."

"Good," Kaiba said, drawing a card.

'_How come evil one is on your team instead of with the other evil ones, Mistress?'_

Joey could swear he saw a vein in Kaiba's temple throb.

"You know, Kai's not actually evil," Yori said, rolling her eyes.

'_I beg to differ.'_

"I'll agree with the dragon on this," Joey said. "Just throwin' that out there."

"I play Lord of Dragons [1200/1100] and two face-down cards," Kaiba snarled. "That ends my turn."

"Good choice," said the last member of the Big Five, a voice very familiar to Joey. "It appears it's my turn to take the stand; my name is Johnson."

"You know, I don't really care who I'm facing," Duke said mildly. "Just duel."

"Haste is what sets cases up for disaster," Johnson said, smirking. "However, I'll accommodate you this time. I play Koitsu [200/100] and one face-down card."

Duke raised an eyebrow, drawing a card. "You must be relying on that face-down card quite a bit. My move. I play Gravekeeper's Assailant [1500/1500] and I'll place two cards face-down."

Back to Nesbitt. "Now the real fun can begin. I activate my face-down Polymerization to fuse my two monsters into Labyrinth Tank [2400/2400]. Unfortunately, I'll have to end my turn there."

Joey drew a card. "I summon Baby Dragon [1200/700] in defense mode."

Krump's voice took over. "My move? Good. I'll play Penguin Soldier [750/500] and then sacrifice it and my knight to summon Suijin [2500/2400], whose attack points go up to 2700. Suijin, wipe out Yugi's Feral Imp!"

"Not so fast," Yugi chided. "You activated my Mirror Force trap."

"I think not," Krump said with a smirk. "Look again."

Before he even finished speaking, Yugi's trap card shattered, the pieces vanishing.

"Augh!" Joey cried, understanding dawning on him. "One of them deck masters is Jinzo!"

"Right ya are, Jo," Lector said, taking over. "I used ma Jinzo's special 'bility. S'long as he's on the field, none 'a ya can use traps."

Yugi's Feral Imp let out a cry as Suijin destroyed it. Yugi echoed the cry, one hand on his chest, shock on his face. Their lifepoint counters scrolled down to 8600.

Krump chuckled, back again. "I see you've discovered how different this world is. The game here is real, and your monsters' pain becomes your pain."

'_Mistress, I am uncertain whether this game is healthy or not,'_Dante said, taking a step towards Yugi and hesitating.

"Not really," Yori said grimly. "At least not this version."

"While you're losing lifepoints," Krump said, smirking, "Gansley has kindly ordered his deck master to join in the effort. Whenever we damage your lifepoints, Fireyarou automatically burns away another 100. I'll end my turn there."

Yugi let out another gasp before gritting his teeth. Their lifepoints dropped to 8500.

"My move," Yugi growled, speaking through his teeth. He drew a card and slid it onto his duel disk. "I'll play Mystical Elf [800/2000] in defense mode and end my turn."

"I'll play the magic card Surprise Attack, allowing me to destroy your winged guardian, Yori," Gansley said breezily. "Unfortunately, it carries the side effect that I must end my turn there."

"Wow, someone sounds dedicated," Yori said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "I'll activate my face-down trap card—have at it, Jinzo."

The card shattered while she studied her hand. At her side, Dante reared up on his muscular hind legs, placing his front ones against the side of her thigh, craning his neck to look at her cards. She sighed and lowered her hand so he could see. Joey could swear the dragon grinned.

'_How do you know what to do with these?'_ Dante asked, curiosity lacing his voice.

"Read the text, mutt," Kaiba growled.

Dante's red eyes widened. _'You understand these scratchings?'_

"Wait, so he speaks Japanese but he can't read it?" Joey asked, blinking. "How does that work?"

'_Japanese? What is that?'_

"Dare I even explain?" Yori muttered. Louder, she said, "It's a language, Dante. It's what you're speaking."

'_Language? Ah! I see!'_ Dante shook his head. _'You are mistaken; at the moment, I speak the common tongue. It is used as a general language for everyone to understand. At home, I would speak the language of my country. I know nothing of this 'Japanese.''_

"Let's not get into this right now," Yori said, cutting off the comment Joey'd been about to make. "At least we can all understand each other; that's what counts. I'll play Mystic Lamp [400/300]."

'_What does that do, Mistress?'_

"Will you just shut up and watch?" Kaiba said, obviously exasperated.

'_Are you my mistress, evil one? I think not. You shut up.'_

"Children, try to get along." Yori gestured at her new monster. "My Mystic Lamp has the ability to attack you directly, Gansley. Guess that defense monster gets to hang out a while longer."

Gansley growled as her attack hit him. The muscles along his jaw stood out in sharp relief and Joey figured the guy had to be clenching his teeth pretty hard. The Big Five's lifepoints dropped to 9600.

"One face-down card does it for me," Yori said, sliding it into place.

"'Bout time. I'll play two face-down cards an' two more monsters face-down in defense."

"Afraid, Lector?" Kaiba sneered, drawing a card.

"Even the dog ain't scared 'a ya, Kaiba," Lector retorted.

'_Your mistake, sir. I__ am a dragon,' _Dante said politely, dropping to all fours again.

"It wasn't a mistake, Dante," Yori said, patting his head. "He insulted you."

'_Ah.'_ Dante paused and then raised his head a bit, reminding Joey of a snob. _'In that case, evil one is free to triumph in this game.'_

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Thanks ever so much."

Joey snickered and he heard Mokuba giggle behind them. The monkey—Tristan—let out a chatter.

"I'll activate my trap card and then replace it with another face-down card," Kaiba said, waiting for the trap to shatter. "Then I'll play Different Dimension Dragon [1200/1500] and attack one of your face-down monsters."

Lector slid the card into the graveyard and smirked. "Ya destroyed ma Hiro's Shadow Scout [650/500] which means ya have ta draw three cards. If any of 'm are magic cards, discard 'm."

Kaiba drew the three cards and slid two of them into his graveyard. "Big deal. Lord of Dragons, attack another face-down monster."

Lector's smirk grew. "That one was ma Prophecy Child [900/900]. Her death brings bad luck ta whoever caused it, costing ya 900 lifepoints—plus Fireyarou's extra 100."

"'Big deal' to that one too?" Yori asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Afraid to lose a few lifepoints?" Kaiba growled back.

Then he gasped as the lifepoint counter scrolled down to 7500.

"What's wrong, Mr. Kaiba?" Lector taunted. "Can't deal with a lil' pain?"

The only response Kaiba offered was, "I'll do one last attack."

Lector scoffed. "Ya already used both 'a ya monsters."

"I'm not using mine," Kaiba said, his signature smirk tugging at his lips. "I'm using Yori's. You declared it as within the rules when you five first set this duel up."

Lector frowned but didn't say anything else. Yori nodded to herself.

"Yes, Kai, you may use my monster; thank you so much for asking," she said, continuing to nod.

'_Mistress,'_ Dante said, pawing at her tennis shoe, _'he did not ask.'_

Joey laughed, unable to help it.

Kaiba rolled his eyes and pointed at Lector. "Mystic Lamp, attack him directly."

Lector bit off a cry as his team's lifepoints dropped to 9200.

"I think I'll end my turn with that," Kaiba said, his voice smug.

'_But the question is, do you __**know**__?'_

"Are you always this irritating or is this a special case?" Kaiba demanded, glaring at the black and red dragon.

Dante nodded wisely, eyes closed._ 'The oracle says yes.'_

That made Joey frown a bit. "Yes what?"

'_That is the question, is it not?'_

A smile tugged at Yori's lips. "I thought 'do you _know_' was the question."

'_The answer__ lies in the shellfish.'_

Joey blinked. "Shellfish?"

"Well, this all makes perfect sense," Yugi commented mildly, sounding amused.

Kaiba clenched his fists at his side and looked away, breathing deeply.

"Bear with it, Seto," Mokuba called, sounding on the verge of giggling.

"Not helping, Mokuba," Kaiba said, raising one hand to rub his temple.

'_What is help really? Life's great paradoxes—'_

"I will kick you, mutt," Kaiba growled.

"If there are no objections, I will proceed with the duel," Johnson said, sounding a bit annoyed.

"Go ahead," Duke said. "I'm still paying attention."

'_Who is this overly-serious one, Mistress?'_

Yori raised an eyebrow. "Duke?"

'_Duke?'_ Dante turned to face Duke, hunkering down. _'Duke! The oracle—'_

"Oh no, please, leave me out of it," Duke said, shaking his head. Joey thought he saw a hint of a smile on the raven-haired teen's face though.

"I play Aitsu [100/100]," Johnson said, raising his voice as if to be heard over a crowd. "Then, using Koitsu's special ability, I'll join the two together to raise Aitsu's attack points to 3100, more than enough to take out your assailant."

"Don't be sure," Duke said, pressing a button on his duel disk. "I activate my face-down magic card, Necrovalley; it raises my assailant's attack points to 2000. Then I'll activate Power Boost to raise his attack points another 1250."

Johnson let out a gasp of pain as Gravekeeper's Assailant destroyed his monster. His team's lifepoints scrolled down to 9050.

"Koitsu is the one destroyed in an attack, so I still have my Aitsu," he said after getting his breath back. He glared at Duke and touched the bridge of his nose, about to adjust glasses that weren't there. He lowered his hand and his glare sharpened even more. "I'll switch him to defense mode and end my turn."

Duke rolled his eyes and drew a card. "You kept a monster with 100 defense points. I'm trembling."

"You know, Duke, for bein' king of a different game, ya ain't a bad duelist," Joey said, grinning at his fairly-new friend.

"Yeah, well, I won't let down my teammates again," Duke said with a grim smile. "Assailant, take out his Aitsu. I'll play one card face-down and end my turn."

* * *

_Authoress's (Second) Note: A bit of silliness and the duel begins, lol. Tell me what you thought! Next update: _**_9/19/09!_ **


	24. Chapter 23: Darkness Prevail

_Chapter 23: Darkness Prevail_

Despite the usually-high stakes, Yami had always enjoyed dueling. And tag-team duels—even with Kaiba as his teammate—definitely ranked as his favorites. So many more possibilities presented themselves when four people dueled rather than two.

But he'd never been in a ten person duel before. The possibilities seemed endless once the game began picking up.

Yori caught his eye and grinned, showing the same spark of enthusiasm he felt. He found himself ignoring the ache in his chest that reminded him something was still wrong. For one duel at least, he could push it aside, couldn't he?

"First," Nesbitt said, beginning the third round, "I'll activate my deck master's special ability. By discarding three machine cards I can inflict 500 points of direct damage to your lifepoints, and Fireyarou will add another 100."

Braced for the pain this time, Yami managed to just clench his jaw and bear it. Oh the joys that accompanied his favorite activity.

Their lifepoints dropped to 6900.

"Then," Nesbitt continued. "I'll use my Labyrinth Tank and Krump's Suijin to take out both of your defense monsters, blonde male."

"Joey Wheeler's the name," Joey growled. "So use it."

Nesbitt ignored him. "I play the magic card Re-Try, allowing my Labyrinth Tank to attack again. Say goodbye to 2400 lifepoints."

"I don't think so." Joey smirked. "I activate my face-down magic card—Block Attack!"

Nesbitt scowled at him and slapped another card down on his duel disk. "I play the magic card War's Desperation. In three turns, it will allow me to activate a very special effect, and in the meantime it cannot be destroyed. That ends my turn."

His eyes turned glassy for a moment and Yami frowned thoughtfully. Perhaps the unfocusing showed the Big Five members arguing or talking amongst themselves.

'_Is that bad, Mistress?'_

Yami glanced down at the dog-sized dragon pacing at Yori's feet. Yori smirked.

"Nah. Just makes things more interesting," she said.

"I wouldn't brush it off so lightly," Krump boasted, taking control. "After three turns, your odds of beating us are roughly zero-point-five percent and it's an all-or-nothing battle."

"I like those odds," Yori responded with a feral grin.

Yami couldn't help a smile.

Krump sputtered for a second before falling silent. Joey snickered and drew a card. Yami saw a frown cross his face. He must not have any monsters, the Pharaoh thought.

"I play the magic card Scapegoats," Joey said. Four colored fuzz-balls appeared before him and he ended his turn.

"Time to repay that favor, Nesbitt," Krump said. "I'll use Labyrinth Tank to take out your Mystical Elf, Yugi."

The tank fired and Yami's elf let out a cry, disappearing.

"Next is a direct attack on your lifepoints, I think. So Suijin—"

"Hold it," Duke interrupted. "You'll have to get past my Gravekeeper's Assailant first—I'm using him to defend Yugi."

"My thanks, Duke," Yami said, cracking a small smile.

"My pleasure. Guess that means your Suijin's history, Krump."

"I don't think so." Johnson's voice. The Big Five member chuckled. "It's time I activated my deck master's special ability. For the cost of 1000 lifepoints, Judge Man can destroy all your monsters and deduct 500 points of damage from your lifepoints for each one."

Yami winced, unable to stop a gasp of pain as their lifepoints dropped to 4800. At least Johnson hadn't done that at the beginning of the round.

Johnson's eyes glazed over for a moment. When they snapped back and he spoke, Krump's voice returned, sounding irritated. Yami couldn't help a small smirk as he thought that maybe the other Big Five members had just demanded to know _why_ Johnson had waited.

"Since I already expended my attack," Krump said. "I'll end my turn."

Yami nodded, drew a card, and surveyed his hand. Promising, but not promising enough to beat Krump's Suijin.

He picked a card from his hand. "I activate—"

"Whoa! Hold up Yug'!"

Yami paused, looking at Joey. The blonde whispered something to his deck master, who nodded. Then Joey looked up and grinned.

"I'm gonna help ya out, buddy. I'll use Red Eyes' special ability—once every three turns he can copy anyone else's deck master ability. So how 'bout we clean out _their_ monsters?"

Yami grinned. "I'm keen on the idea."

He clenched his teeth as a wave of pain hit him in the chest, dropping their lifepoints to 3900. However, it proved worth it to hear the groan of pain from Krump as the Big Five's lifepoints scrolled down to 6050.

"I activate the magic card One Chance," Yami said, picking up where he'd left off. "It allows me to summon any monster straight to the field from my hand for one turn. I'll use it to bring forth my Summoned Skull [2500/1200]."

The fiend appeared and let out a garbled, growling hiss, electricity sparking in the air around it.

'_AHH__H!'_

Yami started a bit in surprise as Dante jumped over a foot in the air and then quickly backed up.

"What's wrong?" Yori asked, a frown creasing her brow.

'_Did you not hear that thing, Mistress?! It sounds like a forest demon gagging on a cat!'_

Yori stared at him. ". . . . Dante. I don't want to know how you can identify that."

'_It is figurative, but it cannot be far off! I request permission to get rid of it.'_

"Oh boy." Yori turned back to face the field, shaking her head. Yami couldn't help but smile at her.

"Seriously, Yor', where'd you find that thing?" Joey asked.

Dante's back went rigid and he snorted a little tendril of flame. _'I beg your pardon?'_

"She impaled it with a stick and it's followed her around completely devoted ever since," Kaiba supplied.

Yami chuckled as Joey's eyes bulged. "You what?!"

Yori winced. "Uh . . . long story. Sorry a hundred times for that, Dante."

'_It is no problem. When there is a spare moment, I will create a remedy to heal it more quickly.'_

"Will you _stop_ _**gabbing**_?" Krump snarled. "I've been waiting a lifetime for this opportunity and I refuse to see you kids undervalue the situation by chatting! This is a life-and-death battle!"

"Yeah, well, after seeing your intentions and methods, why on earth should we feel sorry for you?" Duke asked mildly, a bit of a hard glint in his eyes.

"I can't see why you would want us to hurry up since you're going to lose," Yori said airily. "But, if you insist."

She exchanged a glance with Yami and he nodded.

"Summoned Skull, attack Krump directly."

Krump let out a cry of pain and clutched his chest. His lifepoint counter dropped to 3550.

"One face-down card and I'll end my turn," Yami said, sliding the card into place. He moved his Summoned Skull back into his hand and then took the opportunity to ask his Dark Magician what his deck master ability was.

"For 1000 lifepoints, I can duplicate any magic card effect," Dark Magician replied, inclining his head and twirling the green staff in his fingers.

'_Whoa.'_ Dante snorted another tendril of flame. _'Mahad's voice is __**not**__ that deep. Although he does have that habit of twirling his staff now—he picked it up from his apprentice-slash-girlfriend.'_

Yori raised an eyebrow. "Apprentice-slash-girlfriend?"

Yami could swear Dante gave an evil grin. _'I have not yet been able to get him to admit he loves her, but Sin and I are working on it.'_

"Oh heavens, you really must meet Yugi," Yami muttered.

Yori laughed, cutting herself off by biting her lip, although the smile stayed. Yami shifted uncomfortably as everyone else—minus Dante—stared at him.

"What?" he demanded. Then he realized exactly what he'd said.

Oh for Ra's sake. _I'm_ supposed to be Yugi. I am Yugi. I am. . . . At times, this really sucks.

Surprisingly, Gansley saved him from an explanation.

"Unbelievable as it is, there is still a duel going on here," he growled. "You especially don't have time to talk, Yori."

"Somehow, I'm not under that impression," Yori replied, buffing her nails on the front of her shirt. "Unless you, for some reason, think I should be worried?"

"Oh, not just worried. . . ." Gansley's lips parted in a wolfish smirk. "Terrified."

"Wow, going for the big bucks, are we? Alright, I'll bite. Why should I be _terrified?_"

"Because I know your biggest weakness."

Yami's eyes sharpened, narrowing on the Big Five leader. Surprisingly, however, Yori just laughed.

"Lemme guess, you got your info from Flashy? She thinks you're rather dim-witted by the way, or at least that was my impression."

Gansley's eyes flashed. "I won't be baited; I hold all the cards here. I know everything there is to know about you."

Yori rolled her eyes. "Oh I seriously doubt that. Although, if you do, we should get together over lunch sometime so you can fill me in on a few blanks I'm missing."

"Ah yes, I know about your memory loss as well. How terrible for you." He heaved a sigh. "Ah, well, what are the first ten years of our lives anyway? Nothing there really important—except our childhood."

Yami's eyes narrowed further. He had the sudden urge to strangle this man for his taunts.

"Wait, what?" Kaiba asked, turning to Yori with an expression caught between a scowl and a deep frown.

"I have no memory before sometime after my ninth birthday," Yori said. She appeared blasé about the comment but Yami could see the pain in her eyes.

The urge to strangle Gansley became more pronounced.

"Ah, well, that's neither here nor there," Gansley said, waving a hand. "I must say though, out of all of the bodies available, yours is the one we're least after. Between the scars, the police warrant for your arrest, and your unstable, gutter-rat lifestyle. . . . Well, even a virtual existence is better than your life."

Yori had to leap forward and catch Yami's arm to stop him from jumping the Big Five leader. She held Dante back with a foot but the dragon continued to snarl and spirals of fire curled around his limbs.

"Don't worry about it," Yori whispered, giving Yami what he knew to be a fake smile. "Don't satisfy him with a response."

Yami gritted his teeth, his expression pained. He forced himself to nod.

"Hey! How dare you talk about Yori like that? She's a great person!" Mokuba shouted.

Gansley chuckled. "I'd disagree strongly with that."

"Oh?" Kaiba asked, slowly and deliberately, his tone ice cold. "How would you know?"

"I don't suppose she's told any of you her past, has she?" Gansley looked around. He seemed to find whatever he wanted to see because he nodded. "Shame on you, Yori Moto."

'_My Mistress's past is her own business,'_ Dante snarled. The flames curling around him flared.

"Dante, tone down the fire please," Yori said quietly, giving a tiny wince.

"For once, I think the dragon and I agree," Kaiba said, narrowing his eyes.

For once, Kaiba and I agree, Yami thought. He copied the action.

Gansley raised an eyebrow. "Her past is her business when it puts all of you in danger?"

"Well, seems like rich-boy's does the same thing and you don't see us complaining about that do ya?" Joey said, speaking up for the first time, a hint of a smile on his face. It disappeared as he added, "Sometimes, people've gotta keep some things to themselves. Everyone should know that."

"Thanks Joey," Yori mumbled.

Gansley frowned a bit, looking at all of them. After a moment, he gave a light shrug. "Alright. If Yori feels fine about shouldering responsibility for one of you waking up with a knife in the back because of her, it really isn't a problem of mine."

"Haku wouldn't knife someone just for knowing me," Yori protested, eyes hard. "He knows what I'd do and he's too much of a coward to face the consequences."

"Well, you're not exactly a decent judge of character, are you? Haven't you got a few scars to prove it?"

"How dare you?!" Yami snarled as Yori stiffened. Gansley pulled his shrug again.

"I just gather the facts; I can't help the truth," the corporate leader said. He glanced down at his cards. "I suppose it's time I began playing for real. I summon Little Chimera [600/500] and People Running About [600/600]."

"That has got to be the lamest name for a card I've ever heard," Duke commented.

Yami barely heard him. As he continued to fume and imagine suffocating Gansley, he shot a glance at Yori. She rested one hand on Dante's head where the dragon leaned against her. Her face had fallen into the stony mask he remembered her wearing all-too-well when he first met her.

Without thinking, he slid sideways and laid his hand on hers. Dante twitched a bit, looking up, but he didn't move. Yori glanced down at their hands and then up at his face, meeting his eyes. Her expression melted into a gentle hint of a smile and her hand turned, squeezing his for a moment before falling at her side. Yami let his own hand fall but didn't move away again.

"Take it up with Pegasus then," Gansley said, not seeming to notice the exchange that had just occurred before him. "I will now sacrifice both of my monsters to summon Flame Cerberus [2100/1800] and, seeing how you are devoid of protective monsters, Yori, I think I'll use it to attack your lifepoints directly."

Yori eyed the flame-covered, three-headed dog, her face set grimly. Yami, however, held up a hand.

"Stop right there," he commanded, glaring at Gansley darkly. "I invoke my deck master's special ability to duplicate the effect of Joey's Scapegoats, protecting Yori."

Gansley harrumphed. "Well, you didn't lose as many, but that stunt still cost you lifepoints."

"Your ability to state the obvious is awe-inspiring," Kaiba growled as their lifepoint counter scrolled down to 2900.

"Thanks, Yami," Yori whispered, the gratitude in her eyes making Yami's heart leap to his throat. Since he found it hard to talk past the beating object, Yami nodded in return.

"I play Fortuneteller's Prophecy," Gansley said, slapping the card onto his duel disk. "It is a magic card that is unable to be destroyed before activating. In three turns, it allows me to bring about your doom. Then I'll place one card face-down; I'll end my turn with that."

"Terrifying," Yori said flatly "My move."

'_Mistress! Mistress! Can I help? Please?'_

Yori looked down at him thoughtfully. "It would be nice to know what your special ability is."

'_I fear I do not have a—OH!'_ Dante rocked back on his haunches, flapping his wings once as if excited. _'__**That**__ is what that annoyance meant! The white-clad one told me two things before he unchained me.'_

"Shadi had you chained?!" Yori demanded, anger flaring to life in her eyes. Despite the emotion's identity, Yami breathed a sigh of relief that something had drawn her attention away from Gansley and, more importantly, his words.

'_Yes,'_ Dante said simply. He seemed to smile. _'Fear not; I handled things. Moving on, he informed me that I had an 'important action' I could perform.'_

Yori looked ready to argue the point of moving on, but didn't. "What 'action'?"

'_For a sacrifice of 1000 of those point thingies__, I can summon a powerful monster set to the field for one turn. I recommend you do it!'_

Yami frowned, stepping into the conversation. "What monster set?"

He could swear the dragon gave him an evil grin. _'A very powerful and efficient one. You have my personal guarantee of that.'_

Yori looked at her hand, her brow furrowed. After a moment, she broke the silence.

"Everyone, I think I might risk another 1000 lifepoints."

"Oh sure, just waste them away." Kaiba waved a hand, voice coated in sarcasm. "It's not like we need them to win or anything."

"Well, I have no monsters to summon, and, depending on how powerful this 'combo' is, it might win the duel for us," Yori reasoned.

"Take the gamble, Yor'," Joey said, giving her a thumbs up and a wink. "It's what the game's all about."

Dante looked ready to burst and began bouncing in place. _'Is that a yes? Yes? Yes?'_

Yori held up a hand. "Hold on, Dante, we _are_ getting low-ish on lifepoints, so what does everyone else think?"

Duke gave a one-shouldered shrug. "I think we're well braced enough you can risk it."

Yami simply nodded, giving her a small smile. She smiled back before glancing at Kaiba.

"Kai?"

Kaiba stood frozen in place, firmly silent.

"Oh come on, Seto!" Mokuba called. "You only need one lifepoint to win, 1900 is nothing to worry about!"

Kaiba gave an aggravated sigh. The monkey Tristan screeched and Serenity shouted, "Go for it—just be careful!"

"As if I could change your stubborn mind," Kaiba grumbled. Yori smiled at him and, watching, Yami felt an unpleasant emotion blossom in his chest. He forced it down again.

Not now, he thought.

"Alright, Dante," Yori said, turning back to smirk at Gansley. "I activate my deck master's special ability to summon . . . something I don't have a card for." She paused and glanced at Dante. "That totally ruined the effect. What is this set called?"

Dante pawed at the rope around his neck. _'I do not know that we have a name, Mistress. Could you kindly remove this?'_

Yori blinked, as did probably everyone else.

"_You're_ in this set, mutt?" Kaiba demanded.

Dante began to gnaw at the rope and Yori tugged it off, shaking her head at him.

"Why am I not surprised?" Yami muttered.

Dante laughed, a warm sound with a streak of dangerous plotting slicing through it. Before their eyes, he began to glow a soft crimson and grew in size, stopping at that of a horse.

'_Better,'_ he said, looking himself over. He beat his powerful wings once, carrying himself onto the field. Yami winced as their lifepoints dropped to 1900, hearing Yori hiss in pain.

Instead of fading, the glow around Dante sharpened. He closed his eyes and tendrils of flame sprouted from the ground, entwining around his legs and slithering their way towards his chest and belly.

In a soft murmur, he purred, _'__Darkness prevails, engulfing the light. Harken to these words—' _He snapped his eyes open and the flames flared._ '—Sin reigns tonight!'_

Half of the flames split off and blackness spread through them like ink. They swirled and writhed on the ground, twisting upwards into a column next to Dante. The air grew heavy with something Yami couldn't identify. It felt as if a weight settled on his chest, trying to keep him from breathing. He opened his mouth and took deeper breaths, noticing others did the same.

The darkness seemed to spread into the air itself, wrapping around all of them. The light didn't disappear, but it dimmed. In the midst of it all, Dante laughed again, adding an even more eerie effect.

Then, the column of black flames . . . _swished_ outwards. Yami couldn't think of a better description. It seemed as if the blackness simply shed from something, gently spilling outwards but not leaving completely.

In their place, stood a person.

"Dante? Why am I not surprised," the figure commented mildly. The person turned to take everything in and, through the black flames, Yami could make out what they—_he_—looked like.

The newcomer looked to be in his late teens, about Kaiba's height. He either wore all black or the flames around him gave that impression. Where they had completely cleared out, Yami could see the boy's shirt cut off at his shoulders. He wore a thin black band around his neck and several silver chains. His hair could only be described as silver in color, brushing his ears, eyebrows, and the top of his neck. Behind his left ear, it hung in a small braid half-way down his neck.

"Sin, I presume?" Yori asked, recovering fastest.

"Great. And you've been talking about me," Sin said, eyes locked on the dragon at his side.

'_How could I not, bestest friend?'_

". . . . Creepy." Sin looked around. He waved a hand and the flames retracted to the ground, swirling around his feet; he pointed at Yori. "Yori, I presume?"

"Great. He's been talking about me too."

'_How could I not, bestest Mistress?'_

Sin nodded once. "You're okay." He shifted his gaze to each of them in turn, beginning with Joey. "You're the underdog." As Joey gave a squawk of indignation, Sin's eyes moved to Yami and he inclined his head. "Pharaoh." Then Kaiba. "Pride bringeth fall—and unimaginable regret." Duke. "Stop feeling guilty—you're probably not."

As they all stared at him in stunned silence, Sin turned back to Dante with a sigh. "Who are these people? What are you doing here? No, more importantly, what am I doing here?"

'_We get to attack this guy!'_ Dante jerked his head at Gansley, hunkering down.

". . . . Okay."

Yami felt his eyes go even wider, simply staring at this bizarre teen. Okay? That was it?

'_Yes!'_ Dante crowed. He hunkered down even more, flames building around him again. Gansley stared at him in a mixture of fear and bewilderment. _'So, what I thought we could do is—'_

Sin smacked him hard in the back of the head.

"I can't take any more of this," Kaiba muttered, rubbing his temples. Yami felt inclined to agree; he felt completely lost.

"Idiot." Sin scowled. "Why am I really here? And why have you been missing?"

'_That hurt,_' Dante grumbled. _'Alright, so here it is—'_

Yori turned away and took several deep breaths, catching Yami's attention while the two . . . creatures . . . continued to talk.

"This has to be the freakiest duel I've ever been in," she said, pinching the bridge of her nose, eyes closed.

Yami nodded in agreement, realized she couldn't see it, and said, "Definitely."

"Are we even through the third round yet?"

Joey grumbled something and Yami tuned out both his words and Kaiba's snarky response.

"No," the Pharaoh said blandly. "You might call it half-way through."

". . . . And how long have we been at it?"

"Quite a while."

". . . . We're doomed."

* * *

_Authoress's Note: So here's Dante's infamous best friend. What do you guys think of him? I'd love the feedback! And poor Yori's going to continue getting provoked throughout the duel--good thing she's standing next to Yami, hehe. Well, tell me what you thought! (And sorry it was late--lots going on this weekend) Next update is **Saturday the 26th**!_


	25. Chapter 24: War's Desperation

_Chapter 24: War's Desperation_

It took a while, but Sin got filled in completely and everyone else got a brief definition of Ka monsters and the strangeness of Millennium Powers—while the Big Five grew outraged to the point of making death threats.

"Alright, fine," Yori finally snapped at Gansley. "If you're so anxious to be attacked, I'll oblige."

She nodded at Sin.

"You're all so odd," Sin muttered.

Yori didn't have a card for Sin so she had to trust Shadi. He'd told Dante that the magician's stats rested at 2800 attack points and 2600 defense. From the card she'd had earlier for Dante, she knew the dragon's stats were 3000 attack and 2300 defense.

Things looked grim for the Big Five.

"So I'm attacking this mutt?" Sin asked. The shadowy flames at his feet stirred and began to rise again.

"Yes, that black and red one just to your right," Kaiba interjected before Yori could say a thing.

'_Do not listen to that one—he carries an evil smell.'_

"No comment," Sin said.

"Ya know, that in itself is a comment, so it ain't really 'no comment,'" Joey said, nodding wisely.

"Flame Cerberus," Yori clarified, shooting Kaiba and Joey both disapproving looks, "is what you're attacking."

Sin nodded once and raised his hands to waist-height, palms up. The black flames leapt to life, roaring around him as if he stood in a furnace. His hair whipped around in the hot wind the snapping flames generated and the darkness in the air seemed to grow.

"I gotta say, these Ka guys're way more impressive than either rich boy or Noah's holograms," Joey said, grinning.

"Please, this is still a hologram," Kaiba grumbled, although Yori wondered how sure of that he felt.

Sin snapped and the flames transitioned into demon-like creatures. They hissed and spit black fire, jumping around the silver-haired teen as if invisibly leashed but aching to be free. Sin dropped his right hand and stretched out his left in a sweeping arch, flipping it palm-down.

"Destroy," he commanded, the word as dark as the creatures that leapt forward to obey it.

Flame Cerberus gave a fearful howl as the demons attacked it, sinking their teeth into its hide. The flames around the beast flared and it disappeared, leaving cackling demons behind.

"Return," Sin said. Again, the demons obeyed.

"That was actually kind of creepy," Mokuba said, a shiver in his voice.

"No kidding," Serenity agreed in the same tone.

"They are devilish, temperamental things," Sin replied. A demon jumped at his arm and he brushed it off. "Hard to control."

"Good thing they're on our side," Duke said. Distrust showed in his voice, just as it had ever since Sin had pinned him as feeling guilty.

Sin shrugged. "As long as I'm conscious and not badly hurt, at least."

"That ain't comfortin'," Joey complained, looking a bit green.

"Is _anyone_ watching the duel?" Kaiba growled. "Your attack didn't work."

"Mr. Kaiba is correct, for once," Gansley sniffed. "You activated my trap card Fire Barrier—it prevented me from losing lifepoints when my monster was destroyed.

"Well, it helped you a bit, but you're still in trouble," Yori said, giving him a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Dante, attack him directly."

'_With pleasure,'_ Dante purred.

"I don't think so," Gansley said, matching Yori's smile. "I'm protecting my lifepoints with Lector's monster."

Yori frowned.

"You fool, Lector doesn't have any monsters," Kaiba said, smirking.

"On the contrary, he has Jinzo."

"But that can't beat Yori's dragon, and it's his deck master," Joey objected.

When Gansley smirked and said nothing, Yami said grimly, "He knows."

"You can't do that!" Mokuba shouted. "There's no way Lector's agreeing with taking himself out of the game!"

"You fools wait for everyone to command their own monsters when you don't have to. If you want to survive, you have to command the game by yourself," Gansley said. Jinzo stepped onto the field in front of him. "After all, what are teammates for except to sacrifice?"

'_Mistress?'_ Dante asked, his voice filled with uncertainty.

"It's low of him, but that won't stop my attack," Yori growled, nodding at him.

Dante nodded in return and hunkered down. Fire blossomed at his feet in little bursts, disappearing as soon as they appeared. He faced Gansley and raised his head, letting out a roar that shook their eardrums.

Then he breathed fire.

Yori could never be called a bookworm, but even she had read her fair share of dragon stories. Each one described them as majestic, whether good or bad, and each one tried to explain why.

None of them came even close to succeeding as much as that one attack did.

If Sin's attack had inspired the idea of a furnace, then Dante's produced one of a savannah wildfire. Flames poured from his parted jaws and shot towards Jinzo, lighting everything along the way. The very air itself seemed to catch fire, crackling and snapping and shimmering, blurring the field. Its light made Dante's scales glisten and it consumed Jinzo in an instant, flaring even more. If Jinzo made a sound, Yori didn't hear it over the roar of the fire.

Dante lowered his head, closing his jaws. The ground continued to smolder—Jinzo had disappeared without a trace, as had Lector's other cards.

Gansley looked as pale as a ghost but he had to be given credit for keeping his voice steady. Even with Jinzo's protection, his lifepoints dropped to 2950.

"Imagine if that would have been you instead of Jinzo, Yori," he said. He might have been attempting a taunting tone but he wasn't _that _controlled. "Quite the display."

Yori ignored him, too busy staring at Dante. If the dragon could have blushed, she got the impression he would have.

'_Mistress?'_ he asked hesitantly. _'Did I err?'_

She shook her head wordlessly.

"Aw, yeah!" Joey crowed. "_That_ was awesome!"

Dante ducked his head, pawing at the ground. _'Sin's attack took more control and effort.'_

"Aw, Yori, he's so adorable when he's modest," Serenity said, giggling.

The monkey in her arms let out a shriek.

Dante raised his head, seeming to smile. _'Mistress?'_

"Um." Yori shook her head. "Right. Good job, Dante."

The dragon chuckled, his tail swishing behind him.

Yori looked down at her hand again. With Jinzo gone, she could play traps again—not that it did much good since she didn't have any. In fact, she didn't have any moves at all, really.

"Well, say goodbye, Dante. I think it's time for me to finish off my turn," she said.

He hung his head again, turning to look at Sin. The magician rolled his eyes.

"What are you whining about?" Sin said. "You'll just be at my door—most likely breaking it down _again_—as soon as this is all over."

'_Whenever that will be,'_ Dante said glumly.

"Does it matter? Unless you have some pressing appointment I'm unfamiliar with." Sin gave Yori a two-fingered salute, kind of glancing at everyone else. "Meet you later, everyone—although possibly never again."

"Hopefully never again," Kaiba grumbled.

'_Give __everyone my best. Except . . . you know.'_

"Will do," Sin said, nodding at Yori to finish her move.

Yori frowned, wondering why Dante had added the last part. She decided not to pry and simply ended her turn, making Sin disappear. Dante shrunk to dog-size again and shuffled over to stand at her side.

"With Lector out of the picture, I suppose I'll be facing you this turn, Kaiba," Johnson said, taking over. His voice held a distinct note of irritation.

"No complaints as long as you can make your move quickly," Kaiba muttered.

"I summon Skull Knight #2 [1000/1200]," Johnson said. "Then I'll use my face-down magic card—it raises the attack points of any fiend by 150."

He attacked Kaiba directly and the CEO clenched his jaw as their lifepoints scrolled down to 750, then to 650 as Fireyarou activated.

"It's a shame I can't finish you off when you're so close to destruction, but, unfortunately, I must end my turn there."

"My move," Kaiba growled, drawing a card.

"Make us proud, Kai," Yori said, smirking.

'_Do not mess up, evil one.'_

"Shut up." Kaiba spread his cards a bit before selecting two. "I play Y-Dragon Head [1500/1600] and Z-Metal Tank [1500/1300]."

They appeared on the field and Kaiba pointed at Johnson. "My tank can take out your fiend and then you're wide open for my dragon head's attack!"

Johnson scowled as his lifepoints fell to 1100.

"I'll end my turn."

"I fear this duel is getting out of hand," Nesbitt said, taking over. He held up a card from his hand before sliding it into play. "For the sacrifice of my turn, I play Fleeting Time, which skips one full round of the duel. That means, as soon as my next turn comes, War's Desperation will activate and this duel will end."

"What does that card do, anyway?" Duke asked, narrowing his eyes.

Nesbitt's face remained impassive. "You will learn soon enough."

Duke snatched a card from his deck and slid it into his hand. "I'll play Night Assailant [200/500] and attack you directly. Then I'll activate my face-down card—Attacker's Chance."

A deep blue, eight-sided dice appeared before Duke, spinning in the air.

"What does that do?" Nesbitt said, looking distrustful.

A hint of a smirk twisted Duke's lips. "You'll learn soon enough."

The dice hit the field between them, displaying a three. At the same moment, Nesbitt let out a cry, clutching his chest.

"After a direct attack, this card lets me subtract even more lifepoints from you," Duke explained as the dice disappeared. "A three equals three hundred lifepoints."

Nesbitt glared at him as the Big Five's lifepoints scrolled down to 600.

"One card face-down and one more magic card should end my turn." He slid the two cards into place. "Extra Luck skips my opponent's next turn. Although, the way this duel works, I suppose I'm really skipping Krump's turn."

"Way ta' kick corporate butt, Duke," Joey said, grinning.

"Your turn," Duke replied, the barest hint of a smile on his face.

Joey drew a card and surveyed his hand. His expression twisted and Yori winced inwardly. He made it too obvious that he had absolutely no moves.

"Well, seeing how you suits are always on our case about time, I'll speed things up for ya and skip my turn," Joey said.

"How gracious," Gansley said, giving a humorless chuckle. "Well, I must say you aren't my ideal opponent, Yugi, since you already missed your chance, but I'll take what comes."

"How gracious," Yami said, mimicking Gansley's tone.

"I play Lady Assailant of Flames [1500/1000] and the magic card Dark Fire. My magic card allows me to take all but 100 of my Lady's defense points and turn them into attack points. So bid goodby—"

"AHH! EVERYONE!"

Yori started at the familiar voice and turned to see Téa run up to the edge of the deep rift around them, waving her arms madly. Yugi stood beside her, doing the exact same thing.

"Téa!" a few voices called in surprised unison. Monkey Tristan added his own screeching input.

Téa smiled, running the back of her hand across her forehead. "What's going on?"

As Duke explained, another voice rose to meet Yori's ears.

"Yami! If you ever leave me like that again, I'll kick your butt. Hear me, Mr. Pharaoh?!" Yugi shouted. He grinned and added, "Hi Sis!"

Yori noticed the Millennium Puzzle hanging around Tea's neck, accounting for why no one else heard her brother. She shook her head and leaned close to Yami.

"So you ran off without warning, eh?" she whispered.

Color rushed to his cheeks and he cleared his throat, mumbling, "I was worried about you, and I didn't want to wake him."

"Ah." She tried to stop the flood of warmth his words brought to her chest, not too upset when she failed.

"Do. You. _Mind?!_" Gansley snarled, bringing everyone's eyes back to him. "You're all about to lose, so I suggest you stop chatting. Lady Assailant, attack Yugi directly."

"I don't think so, Gansley," Yami said, waving a hand at the field. "I call my deck master forward—Dark Magician [2500/2100]!"

Gansley's Assailant let out a cry as Dark Magician directed a blast from his staff at her. She burst apart and Gansley snarled as his lifepoints dropped to 500.

"I'll place one face-down monster in defense mode and end my turn," he growled.

"Wise move," Yami said, drawing a card. "In exchange for ending my turn, I activate my face-down card, Healer's Blessing, raising our lifepoints by 1000."

Yori felt a little buzz of warmth spread through her veins as their lifepoint counter scrolled up to 1650.

"My turn to take the floor," Johnson said. "I'll play Vile Defendant [500/400] in defense mode and end my turn. His special ability prevents you from summoning any new monsters to the field."

Yori narrowed her eyes and drew a card. She had Scapegoats on the field, but not being able to summon still made her uncomfortable.

'_So what now, Mistress?'_ Dante asked, peering up at her.

"Whoa! What was that voice?" Téa cried. At her side, Yugi looked just as confused.

Yori glanced at them and then shook her head with a sigh. "Someone else explain. I end my turn."

Duke sighed as well and turned to explain to Téa about the weird little dragon—as best anyone could.

Yami let out a small cough that sounded suspiciously like a hidden chuckle. Yori raised an eyebrow at him and he gave her a slight smile.

Nesbitt took control and laughed—not a pleasant sound. "Now, the true life-and-death struggle will be fought. I activate War's Desperation."

All the cards on the field shattered.

"Hey!" Joey shouted. "What gives?!"

Dante let out a yelp and Yori started, looking down.

It looked as if invisible ropes had wrapped around Dante and were dragging him forward. The dragon growled and dug his feet into the ground in a vain effort.

"Dante!" she cried in surprise. "What are you doing, Nesbitt?!"

Around her, she could see that it wasn't just Dante—all the other deck masters on both sides of the field were being dragged forward.

"War's Desperation is a card created specifically for this virtual world," Nesbitt said, smirking. "It eliminates all cards from the duel except for deck masters. From now on, all you can rely on is your deck master and any card that applies directly to them."

"Dante, don't fight it," Yori said quietly, glaring at Nesbitt.

Dante shot her a glance but did as she said. The invisible bonds jerked him forward and he lost his footing, hitting his side on the field. He twisted to his feet again and grew in size, back to that of a horse. His lips pulled back over his teeth in a snarl.

Nesbitt's smirk widened and he drew a card. "Welcome to a new duel."

* * *

_Authoress's Note: Ugh. Sorry this took so long. I was only home two days last week--a whole bunch of unexpected things came up. Mostly **AWESOME** things, given, but still unexpected. So I got my butt in gear today, lol. Hope you enjoyed it! If you're worried, I'll tell you now that this is **not** the last time we see Sin. He's Dante's best friend, how could I keep him out? Oh and, speaking of Dante, I'm pleasantly surprised at how popular he is! He sends his thanks to all his fangirls, even if he doesn't quite understand the term, hehe. Wish him luck in the deck master part of the duel! Next update: **10/03/09**_


	26. Chapter 25: Four Losses

_Chapter 25: Four Losses_

Kaiba couldn't help it—he laughed.

"_That_ was your master plan? To think I expected a bit of a challenge from you." He waved a hand at the field and the nine deck masters. "Your strongest monster can't even beat Wheeler's wimpy dragon."

He ignored the glares that Joey and Yori gave him for his statement.

Nesbitt let out a chuckle. "You assume things far too easily, Kaiba. One of your many flaws to work on." He grinned and tapped his duel disk. "War's Desperation does more than just bring the battle down to deck masters—it also sets every deck master's attack and defense points at zero."

Kaiba's eyes widened and everyone around him gasped, earning another chuckle from Nesbitt.

"This has become a duel of special abilities and intelligence," Nesbitt said, the grin turning feral. "One you don't stand a chance in. We of the Big Five are the greatest minds of our time in anything we take on, and with this card, I just made the question hanging in the air change from 'will you win?' to 'how long until you lose?'"

Silence fell on the dueling area and Kaiba continued to stare at the tech member of the Big Five. Slowly, a smirk began to creep across his face, breaking into his signature expression.

"_I_ don't stand a chance?" He touched the edge of his collar where the logo of his company was embroidered. "Did you forget who I _am_? My company rose to be the greatest in the world under the leadership of a teenager; I'm _ahead_ of my time!"

"Also never one to boast or have trouble fitting his head through doors," Yori added, but quietly enough that it wouldn't carry to Nesbitt. Kaiba ignored her. Yugi gave a suspicious cough.

"Yeah!" Mokuba shouted. "You five are nothing compared to my big brother!"

"We'll see about that," Nesbitt said calmly. One of the cards in his hand shattered, the pieces dissolving into dust. He drew a new one and then discarded all three. "I activate Robotic Knight's special ability."

Kaiba ground his teeth together as pain shot through his chest, their lifepoints falling to 1150.

"Now let's see how good you really are," Nesbitt said, lowering his arms.

"Oh, you'll see," Kaiba muttered, snatching a card from his deck. He surveyed his options carefully.

"None of your cards disappeared!" Krump's voice accused, taking over the duel.

Kaiba smirked. "You don't know my dragon's special ability—all my cards are useful."

There were a few cards in his deck he knew could win the whole duel; he just had to figure out how to get them into his hand. He couldn't even play his Pot of Greed card because it didn't have anything to do with his Blue Eyes. This was turning into quite the interesting duel.

"I'll end my turn," he said simply.

"Yeah," Krump chuckled. "Some genius duelist you are. You didn't even use that special ability."

Kaiba smirked, remaining silent. Krump harrumphed a bit and then drew a card, turning to face Duke. All the cards in his hand shattered; he didn't even look down. Instead, he grinned at Duke, his eyes flashing.

"Hate to say this, kid, but you lose already," he said, a note of triumph ringing in his raspy voice. "My deck master's special ability raises its attack points to 200. That ends it for you and your Orgoth. Wipe him out, Nightmare Penguin!"

Duke gritted his teeth and Kaiba sighed. He'd have to reveal his dragon's special ability already. He slid three of his cards into the graveyard, stopping Krump's penguin in its tracks.

"Nice try, Krump," he said, smirking at his former employee's furious expression. "I activate Blue Eyes White Dragon's special ability, allowing me to save one monster from being destroyed by discarding three cards from my hand."

"I owe you one, Kaiba," Duke said, his lips twitching up in a smile.

"Defend yourself next time, weakling," Kaiba replied, folding his arms.

Duke's smile turned to a smirk. "Will do." He jerked a card from his deck, paying it no mind as it shattered, along with all of the cards in his hand. "You lost your only chance, Krump. Orgoth's special ability is even better than yours—his attack points raise by 250 every time he attacks a monster with the same number of attack points as his. Destroy his penguin, Orgoth!"

Krump let out a cry as Orgoth's sword sliced through his deck master. The Big Five's lifepoints dropped to 250.

"By the way, thanks for making all our attack points equal, or else that never would have done me much good," Duke said, his smirk widening. "I end my turn."

"Well played," Gansley growled, taking over. "But don't get cocky. You will still lose this duel and your bodies."

"Look who's talkin'!" Joey said with a grin. "You're the ones losin'!"

Gansley drew a card and said coldly, "Not for long. It's a pity you always come in last, Wheeler. I'll be generous and change that now, by giving you the honor of being destroyed first."

The color drained from Joey's face, but he clenched his fists and waited.

Two of Gansley's cards shattered and he slapped the third down on his duel disk. "I play Engulfing Flames! Since my lifepoints are below 500, Engulfing Flames allows any fire monster I have on the field to destroy one of my opponent's monsters, no matter the point difference. It's over for you."

A blast of fire from Fireyarou covered Red Eyes Black Dragon. Joey's monster gave a shriek and disappeared, earning a yelp from Dante too as the crimson-eyed dragon watched. Joey hung his head and cursed; the cards in his hand disappeared along with his duel disk.

"Sorry, Joey," Yugi said quietly.

With an obviously forced grin, Joey shoved his hands in his pockets. "Don't worry about it. At least the duel ain't over."

Suddenly, metal shackles appeared from the ground, snapping over Joey's ankles. Joey let out a yelp, struggling against them in vain.

"Hey!" he shouted. "What gives?!"

"Well, we can't have you attempting to run off unfairly or anything when your team loses. Just stand there quietly and watch the rest of the trial," Johnson said, sounding amused. He drew a card and the few in his hand shattered. "I'll play this face-down and end my turn."

"Let's see if you ended your role in this duel too, shall we?" Yugi said, drawing a card. The one he drew shattered but the two in his hand remained intact. "I play Magician's Illusion, which allows my Dark Magician to turn the effects of your own face-down card against you."

Johnson gasped, his eyes wide and the color leaving his face. On the field, a row of knives dropped from the sky, impaling his Judge Man. It disappeared and Nesbitt took over.

"Scared yet?" Yori taunted as the robot-enthusiast drew a card.

"Negative," Nesbitt said, smirking. "Machinery will always win over sorcery, for it actually exists."

Yori looked out at the red and black dragon on the field in front of her as he let out an indignant huff.

'_I will have you know that you are a complete idiot,'_ Dante said, sitting up proudly. _'I could melt any of your metal monsters on a whim.'_

Kaiba once again found himself trying to figure out just what Dante was. He had to be an illusion of Noah's, but that didn't make any sense. What kind of hologram had a real form and a personality? Why would something of Noah's be loyal to Yori?

"We'll see who triumphs in the end," Nesbitt said. He slid a card into play. "If I have a single metal-type monster on the field, Increase of Forces allows each of us to draw until we have a hand of five cards."

Kaiba felt his stomach lurch just a bit. If Nesbitt drew three machine cards and used his deck master ability. . . .

Yori drew until she had five cards, after which four of them shattered. Nesbitt drew for his five and only lost one. He smirked and slid three into the graveyard.

"This is the end," he said.

Kaiba bit back a gasp as pain slammed into him, their lifepoints scrolling down to 650. Nesbitt held up his last card before dropping it into place, his expression lighting up even more.

"Alloy Reconstruction raises my monster's attack points by 1000, more than enough to wipe out both your deck master and your lifepoints. Say goodbye to your bodies, all of you!"

Kaiba clenched his fists, nails biting into the skin of his palms. He had absolutely nothing he could do—they were going to lose. Various cries rose around him and Robotic Knight dashed forward toward Dante, raising its arm. The dragon stood his ground and snarled, fire blossoming at his feet and beginning to curl around his mouth, despite the fact that the attack wouldn't work.

"I'm not done yet!" Yori shouted. She slammed the one card in her hand into play. "Activate: Magician's Release!"

A brilliant crimson glow flared up around Dante, stopping both attacks in their tracks as surely as if a wall had been raised between the two monsters. The flames at Dante's feet flared up, twisting around his body like snakes. Kaiba stared in shock as the dragon's body began to change. His wings dissolved and he reared up on his back legs, his body and limbs changing shape and thinning out. The change happened so fluidly, Kaiba almost couldn't believe he was seeing it. Then suddenly it was finished, and in the place of a dragon, stood a human.

The human Dante had messy, raven-black hair that hung over his forehead, around his ears, and down his neck to just brush his shoulders. He wore what looked to be a black and red uniform of some kind and had a small, golden band earring at the top of one ear. His sleeves had been rolled back, leaving his arms bare from just below the elbow down.

And he was blinking like an owl.

Kaiba couldn't even think of what to say; he turned and stared at Yori. Yori stared down at the card on her duel disk.

"Not . . . what . . . um, not expected," she said, shaking her head, her expression one of disbelief.

Suddenly, Dante gave a whoop, punching one fist in the air above his head and grinning like an idiot. He whirled around to face Yori.

"Mistress, you are incredible!" he shouted. He looked down at himself, craning his head as if trying to see all of his new form at once. "I have been trying since I arrived here to shift forms—I had deemed it impossible!"

"Wait . . . you're normally a human?" Yori said, her expression going from disbelief to bewilderment.

"That of a dragon is my natural form. I can become a human or a dragon at will usually and anything in between, but I prefer human because it allows me to use the full extent of my magic." He extended his arms and flexed his fingers. "_Yes!_"

"I've officially gone over the edge," Kaiba muttered, rubbing his temples where a fierce ache had appeared. "Past what I can handle. This is just too weird."

Apparently, Nesbitt felt the need to assist them all in snapping out of it because he shouted, "You cannot play a card out of turn!"

Yori blinked and then shook her head, her eyes narrowing. "You just had me draw Magician's Release and it can be played as soon as it's drawn, no matter whose turn it is. The card 'unlocks the full power of Dante the Fire Dragon' and raises his attack strength by 200." Despite the remaining oddness of the situation, Yori gave her normal smirk and flipped her hand in a thumbs-down gesture. "That means the end for you."

"Don't mock me," Nesbitt growled. "My knight still has 800 points more than your . . . deck master."

Kaiba wouldn't even let himself debate 'human, dragon, or something else?' for fear of the effects on his remaining sanity. Better to just leave it at 'mutt/thing/Dante.'

"Oh I'm deadly serious," Yori said. "Because Magician's Release unlocks Dante's special effects—one of which is that he can destroy all magic and trap cards in play, dropping your knight back to zero attack points."

Nesbitt took a step back, his eyes wide. Then he clenched his fists and growled, "You can't do that because you'd be destroying Magician's Release as well!"

Yori raised her eyebrows. "Who said it's a magic card? It's an equip especially for Dante."

Not bad, Kaiba thought. No matter how weird this all is.

On the other side of Yori, Yugi smirked, folding his arms.

"Go for it, Dante," Yori said.

"Yes, Ma'am," Dante said, the idiot grin turning downright predatory. He extended a hand in a sweeping gesture and fire sprang to life at his feet, racing across the ground and engulfing Nesbitt's magic card. Dante crooked his fingers and the fire turned and devoured Robotic Knight, flaring into a giant column of flames. The fire hissed and spat, spraying sparks across the ground and casting an orange glow over the whole dueling field.

"_NO!_" Nesbitt screamed, his duel disk disappearing from his arm. The scream was in vain and Gansley replaced him not a moment later, his expression surprisingly calm for being the last standing of the Big Five.

"Oh, I love it!" Dante crowed, flexing his fingers again. "I missed this control."

"Meh," Kaiba said, folding his arms. Human, dragon, whatever, he was just a hologram of Noah's, better to just accept that and act with it. "Throwing a few sparks isn't that impressive, hate to break it to you."

"Hush, evil one, or you will see the extent of my control."

"Help. Someone save me from the cheap-firecracker attack."

Somehow, Dante managed the same growl in human form as he had in dragon form. Flames began to curl around his boots.

"Down, Dante," Yori said, rolling her eyes.

"That was an awesome save, Yori!" Mokuba shouted.

Yori glanced over her shoulder with a smile. "Just a lucky draw. I'll end my turn there."

The words had barely left her mouth before she let out a gasp of pain, doubling over.

"Yori!" Yugi shouted.

Across the field, Gansley began laughing.

* * *

_Authoress's Note: So . . . tired. . . . So . . . dead. . . . Chapter . . . so . . . worth it! Sorry I'm so late--I've been so swamped lately it's not even funny. I finally found a break for writing time yesterday so ta-da! I hope you enjoyed it and I hope I didn't make any obvious errors with my dead brain._


	27. Chapter 26: Actions and Reactions

_Chapter 26: Actions and Reactions_

"What did you do to Yori, you freak?!" Yori heard Mokuba shout from behind her. She barely heard him over the blood pounding in her ears.

"Mistress!" Dante cried, running to her side. She almost smiled as she dimly realized how tall he was. Maybe she should invest in a pair of platform shoes to keep from always being dwarfed by people.

The thought cut off as another burst of pain shot through her.

"Yori, what's wrong?"

Yami's voice. With an effort of pure willpower, she forced herself to straighten up and lower one hand—the other remained clasped around the burning hot collar that had appeared on her neck. She heard her brother shout her name, his voice filled with worry.

Yami exhaled sharply and then snarled, "Gansley!"

Across the field, Gansley shrugged, a smug smirk on his face.

"It has been three turns," he said. "My Fortuneteller's Prophecy has activated. Just because it left the field does not mean its ability did."

"What's that do?" Joey demanded.

"It is a prophecy of doom," the last of the Big Five said, smirk widening. "I've grown quite attached to this new fire-based deck, and this is possibly the most powerful card in it. It summons a collar of fire around my opponent's neck that burns away 1000 lifepoints every turn. Which means, due to your already low life points, you have exactly one try to beat me and, when you fail, you will all lose."

There was a collective gasp at his words from everyone but Yori and Kaiba. Kaiba cussed and Yori remained silent. Her breathing became heavy and she felt beads of sweat appear on her neck. A collar of fire—just her luck.

Refusing to give Gansley an inch of victory, Yori pushed the thought of the heat aside as best she could and laughed. Gansley raised an eyebrow at her.

"Something amuses you?"

"Yeah," she panted. "Your strategy. It only takes one turn to win a duel, Gansley."

"You're right," he agreed. "In one turn, I will win." He drew a card and then slid it into play, giving a bone-chilling chuckle. "It appears the luck of the draw is with me. I switch my Fireyarou into defense mode and activate Patience of Embers. It raises my monster's defense points to 3000, regardless of what they were before. Given, it usually has the drawback of forcing me to leave my monster in defense for three turns, but since you'll be gone long before then, I won't worry. I end my turn."

There was a moment of complete silence, broken by Kaiba.

"My move," he said, expression blank.

"Go, Seto! You can win this!" Mokuba shouted, offered chattering support by Tristan.

"Stick it to him, Kai," Yori panted. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Yami inch a bit closer to her.

"I plan to," Kaiba muttered, cold fire blazing in his blue eyes. He looked down at his deck and added coolly, "What? No comment from the mutt?"

Yori looked up at Dante. His arms hung loosely at his sides and his eyes were downcast. Without looking up, he said, "Do not lose."

Kaiba paused in reaching for a card. "No 'evil one' on the end of that?"

"Evil one."

Kaiba stared at him for a moment more before taking a breath and jerking a card from his deck. The air seemed to hum with tension and energy. Kaiba snapped his eyes up to meet Gansley's, never glancing at his new card.

"Prepare to lose, Gansley!" he shouted.

"Big talk from someone who's really about to lose," Gansley replied, waving a hand. "If you're worried though, don't be. I'll take good care of Kaiba Corp.—although that name will have to change."

"Over my dead body," Kaiba snarled. He still didn't look at his card or make a move to slide it into his hand.

"What's wrong, Dante?" Yori asked quietly, leaning forward. Her Ka's eyes remained on the ground and all the energy he'd had seemed to have drained out of him.

Yami remained silent at her side, but he looked at Dante as well.

Dante rubbed one arm. "It is nothing. I am . . . worried about the outcome of this. And there is a strange feeling in the air."

Yori couldn't read Dante well enough yet to know whether that was the truth or not. Since she could barely think past the heat, she took it at face value and smiled.

"Don't worry," she said. "Kai won't lose—not this duel."

Dante hesitated for a moment before nodding, accepting her response.

"Not _this_ duel?" Kaiba repeated at her side. "That's insulting."

"Will you focus on the duel?" Joey said, straining against the chains. "The last thing we need is you bein' distracted when our lives are on the line here!"

Yori let out another gasp of pain as the collar's heat flared, making Dante wince. "Actually . . . yeah, speed would be . . . good."

A warm hand closed around her clammy one and she looked up into Yami's vibrant eyes. He squeezed her hand and she half-smiled, not pulling away. Trust Yami to know the best support he could give her.

"One chance, Kaiba," Gansley taunted. "What will you make of it?"

Kaiba's signature smirk appeared on his face and he slapped the card he still held into play, finally looking at it. "One chance is all I need—you're not the only one with a lucky draw. I play Dragon's Destruction."

Yori gave a light, breathy laugh. "Rock on, Kai."

Dante gave her and Kaiba both an appalled look. "Mistress, that is a horrible card!"

Yori blinked before squeezing Yami's hand helplessly.

"You explain it," she said, rubbing her neck. He gave her a betrayed look and she grinned.

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Both players discard any dragon cards in their hand and draw the same number of cards they sent to the graveyard."

"Uh uh," Gansley said, wagging a finger. "That's illegal, Mr. Kaiba. It doesn't affect your deck master—don't think you can get away with it simply because of the word 'dragon.'"

"Actually, I'll allow it," said a familiar voice.

Gansley growled, stiffening visibly. "Krisalyn. . . ."

Krisalyn didn't appear, but her voice rang out again. "Gansley, your Fortuneteller's Prophecy card doesn't affect your deck master either—even less so than Kaiba's. Should I throw both of them out?"

"I played that card before War's Destruction!"

Yori crossed her fingers. Can't believe this, she thought, but I'm actually rooting for Flashy. She felt Yami tense up beside her—he tightened his hold on her hand the tiniest bit.

"Regardless, War's Destruction destroyed it along with the rest of the cards; its ability should have vanished as well. Seto Kaiba's card is legitimate unless you want to get rid of the effects of your Prophecy as well. Your choice."

Gansley growled again, fingers curling into fists at his sides.

"Nothing to say?" Krisalyn said after a beat. "Alright then, proceed."

"So . . ." Gansley said slowly after another moment of silence, narrowing his eyes at Kaiba. "How many dragon cards do you hold?"

"One." Kaiba smirked and plucked a single card from his hand, sliding it into his graveyard.

"Just one?" Duke said, groaning.

The collar flared and Yori winced. Her brain felt a little fuzzy past the heat but she still felt confident that Kaiba knew what he was doing. There would be no reason for his smirk otherwise.

Gansley laughed. "And to think I was actually considering negating both cards."

"You should have, if you wanted any chance of winning," Kaiba said coldly. "I only need one card in my deck to defeat you."

"And you have almost no chance of drawing that one card," Gansley replied, folding his arms.

"Heart of the cards," Yami said quietly. Yori nodded in agreement. _Almost_ meant nothing.

Kaiba gave no response. Again, energy seemed to build in the air. No one breathed a word as the CEO reached for his deck. Without looking, he snatched the top card and threw it into place on his duel disk.

"I play Burst Stream of Destruction!"

Gansley gave a startled shout, taking a step back. "Impossible!"

Dante started violently at the same moment, staring at Kaiba as if he'd just come back from the dead.

"Dante?" Yori said, ignoring the burst of pain from the collar. "What is it?"

"Inner heart. . . ." he whispered.

Before he could say anything else, Kaiba shouted, "It's over, Gansley! This card allows my Blue Eyes to destroy all of your monsters and, regardless of position, the difference in their power is subtracted from your lifepoints!"

"Go, Seto!" Mokuba cheered. "I knew you could do it!"

"But my monster has the higher power!" Gansley protested, eyes wild.

Kaiba smirked. "Did I say it mattered? Go, Blue Eyes! Attack him with White Lightning!"

Gansley screamed as his Fireyarou disappeared in a blast of brilliant white light. His lifepoints scrolled down to zero and all of the duel disks and deck masters evaporated—minus Dante. The chains around Joey's ankles evaporated as well and he jumped back as if burned, doing an odd hopping dance and muttering.

Yori breathed a sigh of relief as the collar around her neck—and the scalding heat—disappeared. The air felt cool against her skin and she moved her hand, allowing it to wash over her throat.

"Are you okay?" Yami asked.

She nodded, smiling grimly. "I've had worse."

Pain flashed in his eyes but he remained silent and nodded once. He squeezed her hand again before releasing it. That time, the cold air on her skin was unwelcome.

"The duel is concluded," Krisalyn's voice said. "Gansley, report to Noah. The other four are waiting. The rest of you, please continue on your way."

"Hey, hold up!" Joey shouted at the sky, clenching a fist. "I'm sick 'a this place—let us out!"

"Don't worry," she said, without a hint of emotion. "Your next—and last—confrontation will be with Noah himself, as soon as he deals with the Big Five. Eight of you will then be able to leave, and Kaiba will—"

"Hold on!" Mokuba interrupted, his tone furious. "No way are we leaving my brother here to fight that freak!"

Darn right, Yori thought. She glared up at the sky. Something else made her stomach churn—Krisalyn had said eight, which meant Tristan too, but did that mean as a human or a robot monkey?

"I said you will be able to, I didn't say you have to," the redhead said, surprising Yori. She'd expected Noah to try to force them to leave Kaiba.

"But, you can't just let them leave!" Gansley snarled, clenching his fists at his sides, shaking visibly in fury.

Krisalyn's voice hardened as she replied, "Gansley, you had your chance. And the choice has always been up to Noah. Report to him now on your own, or stir up his anger and have him force you there. Your choice."

Then she cut off the connection with them. Yori couldn't explain how she knew Krisalyn had left, but she could feel it.

The giant ravine around the dueling area sealed up and Téa ran towards them, Yugi at her side. Yori started to turn and face Yugi, but something caught her eye first.

Gansley swept his gaze over the eight teenagers (and monkey Tristan), his eyes snapping fire even across the distance.

"Don't get any of your hopes up," he hissed, barely loud enough for her to hear. "I know Noah and he won't let any of you leave. Your bodies will belong to the Big Five as a reward for our faithful service."

"We should leave," she murmured.

"What is it, Mistress?" Dante asked, tensing up.

"I don't like how Gansley looks," she said, narrowing her eyes. "I'd rather not provoke someone we've supposedly already settled things with. Let's keep moving and wait for Noah."

Yami followed her gaze to watch the furious leader of the Big Five and then nodded.

"Come on, everyone," Yori said loudly, turning away from Gansley. "Let's leave."

Everyone nodded or muttered agreement and she started walking back down the road they'd come from. She caught Yugi's eye and smiled. He grinned back and came running forward to walk at her side along with Yami (who looked a bit sheepish and avoided the boy's eyes). Dante walked just a bit behind her and she saw him keeping a suspicious eye on Gansley.

"That really was awesome, Seto," Mokuba said, grinning and running to his brother.

Kaiba shrugged, but Yori noticed he looked a bit smug. She rolled her eyes in amusement.

"What are you waiting for, Joey?" Serenity said, surprising Yori. The girl's arms tightened around the small robotic monkey she held and her brow creased in obvious worry.

Yori glanced back and saw that Joey still stood in place on the field, glaring at Gansley.

"I'm waitin' for this suit ta' give Tristan his body back," Joey said. His brown eyes glinted in the light and, for a moment, watching him, Yori suddenly had the impression of a street fighter. She frowned and shook it off.

"That was never in the agreement," Gansley snarled, the dangerous light in his own eyes growing.

"I don't care," Joey snapped. "I ain't lettin' ya take his body twice without a fight."

The monkey Tristan screeched support and Yori stiffened a bit. She didn't want a confrontation outside of a duel, but she agreed they couldn't just let Gansley walk away with Tristan's body. Maybe it would be best to settle things instead of waiting for another opportunity that might not come. Still. . . .

"If you want to get over your head in a fight with me for it, be my guest," Gansley growled. "But I will take yours as well."

Joey clenched his fists and took a fighting stance. "I can take ya."

"Joey, don't," Yori said, glaring at the last of the Big Five. "This is his world. There's no telling what kind of dirty fighting he's got up his sleeve."

The barest of smirks crossed Gansley's face, letting her know the truth of her statement.

Suddenly, Dante bared his teeth in an animalistic expression, surprising Yori.

"Tread carefully, evilest," he said, eyes locked on Gansley. He raised a hand, strands of fire curling around his fingers. "I was held back from attacking you once—if you hurt a friend of my mistress, it will not happen again."

"Bad-A body guard," Duke commented, a smirk in his voice.

Kaiba scoffed but Yori felt a small smile tug at her lips. Their problem might be solved easier than she'd thought.

Gansley gave Dante an expression beyond loathing, serving only to make the flames around Dante's hand flare. Joey snickered.

"Can't argue with that, can ya?" he said, folding his arms with a feral grin.

Gansley remained silent but he began to stalk forward, each step stiff and obviously against his will. Yori tensed as he came nearer but he kept his eyes on Dante and didn't stop until he stood next to Serenity and the monkey Tristan.

"It doesn't matter," he hissed. "We will have all of your bodies in the end. You cannot escape."

He put a hand on the robotic monkey's head and closed his eyes. A joyous smile appeared on Serenity's face but Yori didn't relax. Something felt wrong.

Not a moment after she had the thought, Gansley's hand tightened and his eyes snapped open. In one blur of movement, he tore the small monkey from Serenity's arm and hurled it through the air straight at Yori.

Instinctively, Yori raised her arms to cover her face, out of time to do more than that. Dante moved faster than she could though and leapt in front of her. He held one arm up, guarding his own face, and the small machine hit him squarely, tearing along his skin.

"Dante!" Yori gasped as he fell to his knees. However, he waved her off with a smile and held up the now-wailing monkey—what he had dropped down to catch.

"I could not let it fall when it seems to be so important," he said, standing up.

Yori's heart continued to pound at a million miles an hour, but she felt a bit of relief. At least, until she saw the blood dripping from Dante's arm to the ground.

"You're injured," Yami said, worry in his voice.

Dante waved him off as well and pushed the monkey into Yori's hands without an explanation. She realized the reason immediately though as Mokuba gave a shout.

Gansley had used the moment of distraction to leap at Kaiba, knocking them both back. The Big Five member had Kaiba pinned to the ground and already had one fist raised for a strike.

Dante's crimson eyes blazed and he dropped to one knee, pressing one hand to the ground, fingers spread. Trails of flame streaked across the ground from his fingers to Gansley, catching the man's pant cuffs on fire. He let out a startled cry and hesitated just a bit.

Kaiba took full advantage of the pause and threw Gansley off of him, leaping to his feet. Gansley let out another yell and beat at his pant legs in a vain effort.

"Fight your own battles, mutt," Kaiba growled, shooting Dante a glare.

"This _is_ my battle," Dante responded. He clenched his fist and the fire immediately extinguished. Gansley didn't have a moment to celebrate though because Dante and Kaiba both rushed at him.

The monkey in Yori's arms shrieked and hid its face in her shoulder. She gave a sympathetic wince, wondering what kind of damage Dante and Kaiba together would inflict on Tristan's poor body.

Gansley scrambled to his feet in time to meet Kaiba and receive a punch full in the face. He stumbled and, holding his jaw with a furious expression, ran for the line of buildings along the street.

"Nice attempt," Dante growled. He slashed a hand through the air and the roofs of the buildings burst into flame.

"He's toast," Joey said, sounding awed and not the least bit sympathetic.

"Literally," Duke added, giving a small wince. A very small one.

The fire didn't stop Gansley, however, and he ran directly into the closest building. Everyone stared after him in disbelief.

"Well . . . he is part of this world," Téa said slowly, shaking her head. "I guess it won't hurt him."

"That is a shame," Dante growled, turning away.

"Are you okay, Seto?" Mokuba asked, worry evident on his face as he ran to his brother's side. Kaiba nodded wordlessly and turned as well.

"Come on, Mokuba," he said. "Let's go."

"That dirty rotten Gansley," Joey snarled. He jogged over to stand with everyone and sighed. "Sorry, Tristan."

The monkey chattered something and Yori handed it back to Serenity, making her way to Dante. He met her eyes in surprise at whatever look she gave him (she couldn't be sure—something between confusion, gratitude, relief, worry, and anger.) Without saying anything, she ducked around him and looked at the back of his arm where it hung at his side.

A ragged gash had been torn just below his elbow and blood continued to drip down his tanned skin. She could already see a purple bruise forming where he'd been hit, disappearing beneath the rolled-up sleeve of his shirt.

"Mistress?" He turned, moving his arm from view.

She sighed and undid the clasp of her cape. She bit the material a few inches above the hem and ripped it, using her hands to tear off the rest of the strip. Dante stared at her.

"Mistress, what are you doing?"

"The hem's dirty," she muttered, ignoring him. She bit it again and ripped off a second strip, clean this time. Then she stepped forward and reached for his arm. Looking surprised, he took a step back.

"Oh hold still," she said, not meaning for it to be as harsh as it sounded. He obeyed and she tied the strip around his arm, silver-side in. "That's the best I can do."

He stared down at it, blinking a few times. Then he smiled and met her eyes again. He opened his mouth to say something—perhaps thanks—but a roaring sound met their ears, stopping him.

"A motorcycle?" Duke said, sounding confused.

The pit of Yori's stomach froze and she spun to face the burning line of buildings. Just as she did, part of one collapsed, crashing in on itself and spraying splinters and debris outward.

That didn't hinder the motorcycle tearing out of the building next to it, though.

"Look out!" Yori shouted, leaping aside. She grabbed Dante's uninjured arm and pulled him after her, since he looked ready to stand in the way. He probably didn't understand the concept of getting run over.

The motorcycle blazed past and she growled at the back of the rider—Gansley. He swerved away from Duke and Téa straight at Kaiba and Mokuba. Kaiba turned in time to see and jumped out of the way, pulling Mokuba behind him protectively. In return, Gansley jerked the bike around and held up a previously concealed metal pipe. Before Kaiba could move, the Big Five leader brought it down in a wide swing across his skull, sending the teen sprawling to the ground. Mokuba stared down at his brother, eyes wide and fearful, mouth moving soundlessly.

"KAI!" Yori screamed. She took off running, barely noticing the others shout his name as well.

Dante beat her to the punch. Ribbons of fire blazed a path beside her, reaching for Gansley. Unable to help it, she stumbled away a bit but continued running anyway, ignoring the flame as best she could.

Gansley saw the fire as well and let out a curse. He reached out and grabbed the still-stunned Mokuba. With another well-aimed hit of the pipe, he knocked out the boy and slung him across the motorcycle. The engine screamed as he peeled away, just missing the outstretched fingers of flame.

* * *

_Authoress's Note: Okay, this one took FOREVER but I finished up the duel!! lol. I hinted at quite a few things in this chapter, but don't worry if you didn't catch them. You'll understand later. Poor Mokuba, I really wanted to take pity on him and not have him kidnapped, but it needs to happen. Hope you enjoyed! Can't wait to hear what you think!_


	28. Chapter 27: Brother's Praise

_Chapter 27: Brother's Praise_

Noah slammed his hands down on the arms of his chair, standing in the same motion, fuming.

"I-I'm sure Gansley's logic is sound," Johnson stammered, eyes still on the screen where the leader of the Big Five had just kidnapped the youngest Kaiba brother. "He is only working to advance your magnificent plans furth—"

"Save it, law-lover," Noah snapped. "Your disobedient comrade has just sentenced all of you as well."

Shouts went up from all four of the men present but Noah ignored them. Before anyone on the screen could reach Kaiba, Noah opened a portal beneath him, separating the unconscious figure from the rest of the group.

"I'll deal with you in a moment," he muttered.

"Noah," Krump started, stepping forward. "We know things aren't going the exact way we planned, but if you'll just allow us to—"

"Oh shut _up!_" Noah said, shooting each of the corporate suits a glare. "All of you have failed me for the last time. I've already given out second chances and you've proven to me that you simply _can't_ beat Kaiba's geek group. Don't think I'm just going to hand you what you want—that's not what the deal was."

"Their wins were simply glitches!" Nesbitt protested. "At the very least, surely you can't think I have failed you—I am the only one who completed my deal the first time!"

The others started to round on him for trying to save himself and Noah clenched his hands into fists. The chair behind him dissolved, leaving the virtual room completely empty except for the screens around him. With a thought, those began to melt and swirl together, gaining a greenish-blue glow.

"I. Have. Had. Enough," Noah said, enunciating each rage-filled word. "I only have one subordinate who serves me faithfully and she isn't in this room. You all can rot."

Before any of the men could get a word out, the liquid wall behind them came crashing down, splashing over each form. In seconds, it swallowed them up completely and then retreated to its original place, solidifying back into a wall of virtual screens.

Noah growled and closed his eyes, sending another command to the virtual world. When he opened them again, he stood on a foggy, deserted road. Not deserted for long though—he could already hear the motorcycle approaching.

He crossed his arms and waited, still as a statue. The motorcycle grew louder and finally appeared, streaking down the road towards Noah. The headlights glared brightly in his eyes but he didn't look away. After a few minutes, Gansley pulled to a stop, about ten feet in front of the boy.

"Noah," he said, his voice wary. "What are you doing here?"

"Give me the boy," Noah said in return, his voice deadly quiet.

Gansley's hands visibly tightened on the handlebars. Noah could practically see gears turning in the man's mind as he tried to think of a way out of the situation. A way to find some leverage.

"Noah, be reasonable," he said slowly. "This kid is the only family Kaiba has—we can use him to achieve our goal faster than anything else out there."

"Oh really," Noah said flatly. "And how would you propose we go about that?"

A cruel smirk twisted Gansley's lips and he seized on the opportunity he'd been given. "Easy. All it would take would be for Kaiba to see his little brother in _pain_, and all we want would be ours for the taking."

Noah couldn't explain why, but Gansley's words were like a cold wind that blew across the embers of fury buried within him, causing them to erupt into a fire. His fists clenched at his sides and the ground around Gansley began to liquefy. He said nothing to Gansley with words, letting his expression tell it all. After a few seconds, Gansley's smirk began to melt into an expression of fear.

"N-noah," he started. The boy didn't let him get any farther.

The virtual world reacted instantly to Noah's unspoken command and the liquid ground reared up, enveloping Gansley's legs and clawing its way upward. Before he could let out more than a cry, it covered him completely and he vanished, the ground falling back into place and solidifying as if nothing had happened.

Without its rider, and with an unconscious figure draped across it, the motorcycle began to tip sideways, threatening to fall. Noah raised a hand and it halted, vanishing and leaving the unconscious raven-haired boy suspended in the air. Noah studied Mokuba for a few seconds and then sighed, feeling at a loss for the moment. He waved a hand vaguely at his side, opening a screen he could see Kaiba through.

Still unconscious as well. Great. Just great. He closed that window and opened a second one, this one to a more familiar figure.

"Noah," Krisalyn said, a hint of surprise in her voice as she glanced at the screen. He could hear her fingers clicking away on a keyboard and for a moment he wondered what she was doing, then decided it didn't matter. Krisalyn was a subordinate he could actually trust, aggravating though she could be at times.

"Release Mokuba from the virtual world," he said, not feeling in the mood to mince words.

She blinked and the clicking paused; her eyes turned to meet his completely and she cocked her head to the side. "Pardon?"

He scowled. "You heard me."

"Any particular reason why?"

"That fool Gansley."

"Alright," she said slowly. She half-turned away and the clicking began again, a little more intense this time. "Spill the story while I work the codes."

His first response was to stiffen but then he gave a bit of a sigh and did as prompted—who knew why. He gave her a brief overview of Gansley's actions and then fell silent.

"I think they deserve worse than they got," she said when he finished. The harsh words were dulled a bit by her emotionless expression, but the emerald fire in her eyes told Noah she meant it.

"Well what would you suggest, Dr.?" he asked, voice dripping sarcasm.

One of her shoulders twitched in something akin to a shrug. "Nothing. This is your world; you call the shots." After a second or two, she added in a quiet voice, not making eye contact, "It was good of you to give them some mercy, even when they didn't deserve it."

The words gave him pause, then, bitterly, he replied, "It's not mercy to be condemned to an isolated virtual life."

"Better than no life at all," she replied, bringing her eyes up to meet his again. A few moments of silence passed and then she said, "It's done. I can bring him out now."

Noah nodded, shoving the earlier subject from his mind. "Keep him with you until I say otherwise. Keep a good eye on him and don't let him escape or contact help."

Her eyebrows rose a bit but she said, "Alright. It's your call."

* * *

Music filtered into Mokuba's ears, rousing him. He slowly blinked his eyes open, wincing at the painful throbbing in his head. He blinked again, looking around the dull metal room. The slow, soothing piano music that had woken him seemed out of place among the screens and blinking lights.

Something else drew his gaze and his eyes widened as he watched.

A familiar redhead danced gracefully to the music. Her eyes were closed and her movements flowed to the music perfectly, as if the dance _was_ the music. Each step, each move of her hands looked liquid.

He must have let out a small gasp, or noise of some kind, because she paused mid-turn and opened her eyes, allowing her arms to fall to her sides. Without a word, she crossed the room and switched off a small, simple stereo he hadn't noticed.

"You don't have to stop," he protested, sitting up more. He'd already been leaning against a wall, but the movement put his back flat against it. It also dislodged the blanket he hadn't realized had been draped over him.

Krisalyn raised an eyebrow at him for whatever reason. Her only reply was, "How's the head?"

He raised a hand and rubbed it, wincing a bit. However, he couldn't feel a bump or anything. Thinking about what had happened though made him worried about something else. He bit his lip.

"Where's Seto? Is he alright?"

Krisalyn unplugged the stereo and wound up the cord as she spoke, her face expressionless. "He's fine. He's still in the virtual world with the rest of your pack."

Mokuba gave a start at her words. "We're outside the virtual world?"

She nodded, slipping the stereo into a small black bag. Something clattered to the floor as she did and she paused to pick two items up. When she snapped them together, Mokuba realized it was a phone and battery. A sudden idea formed in his mind and he tried to keep it off his face. If he could steal her phone, he could call Roland and maybe do something to get them all out of this mess. He just had to figure out a way to get it away from her. . . .

"Why does Noah have a grudge against Seto?" he blurted out.

She glanced up at him, still holding the phone. "I'm sure he'll reveal it eventually."

"So you don't know?" he asked, as much out of curiosity as to keep her talking.

"I do." She tapped a finger absently on the phone battery, as if debating whether to leave it in or not.

Mokuba paused a moment as another thought occurred to him. "What about you?"

She seemed to decide against taking it apart again and instead slid the phone into her pocket. Mokuba ground his teeth but decided to keep at the questions anyway—maybe he could do something else to help if he could just understand more of the situation.

"What about me what?" Krisalyn said, taking a seat in the single computer chair, crossing her legs at the knees and folding her arms.

"Why don't you like Seto?"

"He's a heartless jerk," she said flatly. "Do I need more reason than that?"

Mokuba felt a flash of anger shoot through him. He curled his hands into fists and shouted, "Seto's not a jerk!"

Krisalyn's expression remained blank, but the silence stated her disbelief better than words.

"He's not," Mokuba insisted, feeling the anger flare. "He's the best brother in the world and he never lets down anyone who depends on him. You don't know him!"

The redhead remained silent, staring at him for several moments. Even though her expression still didn't change, Mokuba had the odd impression that the feeling behind it had. She seemed to be studying him intently, as if looking for something.

"What?" he finally asked defensively, a bit unnerved.

She glanced at the monitor off to her side for a moment and then settled back into the chair, watching him again. Her demeanor didn't seem any different, but her words surprised him.

"What makes him the 'best brother in the world'?"

Mokuba faltered, unsure of how to respond. How could he explain what made Seto great? He just . . . was.

"Well . . . uh . . . he. . . ." He trailed off, at a loss.

Krisalyn raised an eyebrow. She started to let her arms fall and Mokuba knew she was about to dismiss the subject. Before she could, he blurted out the best explanation he could think of, staring down at the floor instead of meeting her eyes.

"Well, uh, he cares, even when no one else does. Um . . . he's always looking out for me and . . . he . . . he never abandons me. And even when he seems kind of mean, I know he's only worried about me." A smile began to grow on his face, the words coming easier as he thought about everything his brother did. "Even though he's gotta take care of a whole company and his own school work, he always takes time out to help me with mine—and anything else I need. Whenever I'm worried about something, he always listens, and even if he doesn't know how to help, he tries. And he picks me up from school every day, even though he could just get Roland or someone to do it. When he does have free time, he always asks what I want to do. Even when he's at work, he doesn't ignore me or treat me like a kid—he lets me help him plan things and he asks for my opinion on everything new Kaiba Corp. comes out with. He's the one person I know I can always depend on. . . . He's just the best!"

The last sentence came out fiercely and he brought his fiery brown eyes up to meet Krisalyn's emerald ones. Then he started a bit in surprise—her stony expression had melted into one that seemed sad and aching. He blinked and it disappeared, the blank look back in place.

"You remind me of someone," she said quietly, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

Mokuba blinked again, surprised once more. "Who?"

The hint of a smile seemed to hover around her face as she said, "My own little brother."

* * *

_Authoress's Note: Well, I might be getting back into the habit now. We'll see how this goes. Thanks for all the well-wishes; I hope you enjoyed the chapter!_


	29. Chapter 28: Brother's Fury

_Chapter 28: Brother's Fury_

Krisalyn hid a smile as Mokuba's eyebrows shot up to disappear beneath his black bangs. He was such an innocent kid—never hiding his emotions or thoughts.

Unlike some people.

"You have a brother?" he said, his tone one of disbelief.

"Not just one," she corrected, turning away to face the monitor. She pulled up two windows to view Kaiba and his friends.

"How many?" Mokuba asked, his voice echoing a bit in the metal room.

"More than one," she replied. She ignored Kaiba for a moment—due to the fact that he remained unconscious—and maximized the viewing window for the rest of his group, who seemed to be trying to figure out what to do next.

"Oh. Why aren't you with them?"

She glanced over her shoulder at the young teen. Several answers rose to her tongue but all she said was, "I'm working."

He remained silent for a moment before saying, "I'm still with Seto when he's working."

She felt a flash of irritation she couldn't completely hide. "Yeah, well, I'm not him. Thank heaven."

A mischievous grin stole across Mokuba's face and he hummed innocently. "Well, I dunno about that. If I remind you of your own little brother, then that means you _must_ be like Seto."

Instead of her irritation flaring, like it should have, it died down. Mostly because his words had reminded her of his earlier praise of Seto Kaiba. She ran it through her mind again, feeling a little worm of doubt once again about this business she had been caught up in.

"I guess he must have done something right to get such high devotion from you," she said quietly, turning from Mokuba to face the monitor again. Before he could reply, she narrowed her eyes and added, "But don't think that gets him off the hook."

She heard the boy shift but he didn't reply. She watched the group of Kaiba's friends, still obviously confused and uncertain. On some random, spur-of-the-moment thought, her fingers began moving on their own and she keyed in a freeze code. As soon as she finished, the scene before her jolted to a halt, the teens all locked in mid-movement poses, some of their mouths hanging open, paused in their debate.

No reason for them to mill around uselessly while Noah toys with Kaiba some more, Krisalyn thought. She keyed in an un-freeze sequence which would activate as soon as Noah and Kaiba started a duel and would transport all the teens to the dueling location. Then she closed the window.

"How _could_ I get Seto off the hook?" Mokuba asked suddenly.

Krisalyn swiveled her chair a bit to so she could watch both Mokuba and the screen. She raised an eyebrow. For a moment, she almost forgot what she'd said only seconds before, but then remembered.

"You can't," she said after a pause. "At least, not unless you can turn back time."

"Can you at least tell me what hook he's on?"

"For me or for Noah?"

"You first."

Krisalyn considered the question, considered not answering. Then curiosity rose within her about what the young Kaiba brother would say.

"Years ago," she said slowly, "he stole something from my brother."

Mokuba chewed on his lower lip for a minute before saying, just as slowly, "I can't imagine Seto stealing. What was it?"

"Oh, something very important."

". . . .Well, who's your brother?"

Krisalyn shook her head. "That's cheating. We're talking about your brother here, not mine."

Mokuba leaned forward a bit, his dark eyes intense as they locked on her. Very deliberately, he asked, "Your brother . . . is he Noah?"

Krisalyn blinked once, and then again. The question seemed so ridiculous to her mind, but at the same time she realized it was a logical conclusion for him to jump to.

"Um, no," she said. "I'm not remotely related to Noah."

Mokuba sat back against the wall, his hair puffing out a bit at the action. A confused expression creased his face.

"Well, if he's not your brother, why are you helping him?" he asked.

"Oh, look at that," she said, dodging his question and gesturing at the screen. It showed a groggy Seto Kaiba climbing to his feet, face twisted in a grimace of pain and one hand on his head. "The villain's awake."

"Seto!" Mokuba cried, bolting upright, eyes alight with joy. Krisalyn rolled her own eyes and pushed her chair back so he could have a full view of the screen.

She sighed, certain that having Mokuba in the room meant that she could never take Kaiba off the screen. Resigned to the fact, she settled back in the leather chair and prepared herself for the most boring show in history.

* * *

Kaiba stared into the darkness all around him, trying to ignore the fierce pounding in his skull.

"Mokuba!" he shouted, taking a step forward.

Nothing answered him back. Not even an echo. A furious growl escaped Kaiba's throat.

"Alright, Noah," he hissed into the swirling black, "I'm done playing your game. Release Mokuba and let's end this now."

This time something did come floating back to him—Noah's laugh.

"Nice try, Seto," Noah said, "but you don't make the rules here. I do. You're not done playing my game until I am."

Kaiba's hands curled into fists at his sides and he cussed. "What have you done with my brother?!"

Noah offered no response but a moment later, the darkness ahead of Kaiba began to thin, giving way to a familiar pattern of blue and yellow—Mokuba's shirt and vest. In just a few seconds, the mist cleared completely to reveal Kaiba's younger brother.

"Mokuba!" Kaiba cried, reaching out. But even though Mokuba appeared to have a hand extended as well, Kaiba's fingers passed right through his brother's palm. Kaiba started in shock.

Agony reflected in Mokuba's eyes as he whispered, "Seto, why don't you ever protect me?"

Kaiba's heart lurched at the words even as he told himself it wasn't real. Just another of Noah's tricks. As if to support the unspoken thought, Mokuba's features melted away to reveal Noah's, twisted in an expression of mock sympathy.

"Seto Kaiba," he said, voice chiding. "Owner of the second largest game corporation in the world, and yet you can't even keep your own brother safe."

Kaiba snarled and leaped at Noah but passed right through him. Noah merely laughed, turning to face him once more.

"I haven't shown myself just yet, Seto. Can't you see beyond illusions?" His face changed back to Mokuba's but with a haughty, feral grin that looked starkly out of place on Mokuba's features. "You don't deserve your brother's loyalty, you know that. I've done you both a favor."

With that, he vanished. Kaiba cursed. And then cursed again. His arms shook under the pressure of his clenched fists, and his nails bit into his palms so deeply he could feel the pressure against his bones.

The darkness around him began to pull back, leaving in its wake the dining room of Gozaburo Kaiba's mansion. Kaiba saw a younger version of himself and Mokuba seated with Gozaburo at the table, Lector standing in the background. He ground his teeth; he recognized this memory.

Noah's voice echoed around him again, "I think you need a reminder of how badly you treat your brother, Seto. Remember this? I'm sure Mokuba does."

Kaiba's jaw began aching from the pressure of clenching his teeth. He wanted to turn and leave, but he knew it would do no good. So he set his blank expression in stone, refusing to react as events played out.

You can't break me, Noah, he thought. And you can't keep this up forever.

Wait for me, Mokuba. I'm coming.

* * *

"Let me talk to him! Please!"

Krisalyn sighed, regarding the raven-haired boy before her.

"I already told you that would be a bad idea," she said evenly.

His frantic brown eyes darted to the image of his brother on the screen and then back to meet her cool emerald gaze.

"Please," he repeated. "Just for a minute; just to let him know I'm okay!"

"Mokuba," she said, trying to get him to accept logic, "if you contact him, it will only get you on Noah's bad side more. He'll make things even worse for your brother."

Not to mention for me and you, she added silently.

Mokuba bit his lower lip, rubbing his arms. His agonized expression almost made her wish she could help, then she shook herself mentally.

He's Seto Kaiba's brother, she thought. And I'm Kaiba's enemy.

"Then . . ." He hesitated before pressing on with obvious reckless abandon. "Then let me go back in the virtual world!"

She blinked, not bothering to restrain her frown. Why would anyone be willing to go back into a situation where they couldn't control anything around them? Why would he be willing to sacrifice that much to contact his brother when it wouldn't do any good? It wasn't logical!

Mokuba showed such devotion to Kaiba, yet Krisalyn knew that Kaiba did _not_ have a good reputation. She couldn't count the number of times her brother had told her stories of the CEO of Kaiba Corp's cruel dealings.

Only one explanation made sense.

She leaned forward, looking the raven-haired boy in the eyes. (As soon as Noah had pretended to be the boy, the real Mokuba had jumped up and rushed forward to where she sat, trying to shout at his brother through the screen.)

"Mokuba. . . ." she said slowly. "Why would—? You're safe out here; why would you risk that? Kaiba just wants to beat Noah; whether you're there or not won't make any difference to him."

Mokuba's brown orbs blazed and he clenched his fists. "That's not true—Seto and I are a team!"

"The only reason he's even looking for you is because getting you back would mean a victory over Noah," she said harshly. "My family has followed Kaiba Corp ever since Seto Kaiba became CEO. He's a typical corrupt, power-hungry businessman. No one matters to him unless he can use them to turn a profit. You said he lets you give input on everything Kaiba Corp comes out with? He's just using you too, Mokuba. He's playing with your emotions for your ideas."

"_Shut up!_" Mokuba shouted, startling Krisalyn. "You don't know anything about Seto! He would never hurt me on purpose! You and Noah are the corrupt ones because you're doing all of this to hurt Seto as much as possible. If you have a problem with him, bring it up like a decent person; don't put him through all of this!"

Tears pooled in the boy's eyes and his small frame shook as he continued, "People like you are the reason Seto changed! He used to smile and laugh with me. He used to tell jokes. He used to not be afraid of having fun. But then Gozaburo started punishing him for it—saying he had to act like a business man. And when he took over Kaiba Corp, things got even worse because people tried to take advantage of him and thought he was too young to ever make it. Then when Seto proved them all wrong, all he got was more enemies. Everyone always tries to hurt Seto and they don't even know him! _You don't know him!_"

The tears had spilled over Mokuba's cheeks, but he made no move to wipe them away. He dodged around Krisalyn and she heard him yank on the door handle. Then an echoing metal slam sounded when the door remained firmly closed, like he'd punched or kicked it.

For her part, she remained rooted in place, his words ringing in her ears. Slowly, she turned her gaze to the monitor, to Seto Kaiba. As he watched another of his memories play out, his face remained set in a mask of stone.

But Krisalyn wore an identical expression so much that she found she could read feelings in the granite. The muscles along his jaw-line were stretched tight and his fingers dug deep into his folded arms. When he shifted slightly, his gaze following the younger version of Mokuba, his eyes faced the screen.

Without thinking, Krisalyn reached out a hesitant hand and turned a dial on the control panel, zooming in the viewing window. His eyes were the clearest crystal blue she'd ever seen; in their depths flared a defiant cold fire and a silent strength.

But even deeper than that, she could read hidden pain.

* * *

_Authoress's Note: Sad chapter, in my opinion, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. There was something I wanted to say here . . . but it has slipped my brain-dead mind. Um, please review!_


	30. Chapter 29: Betrayal

**Chapter 29: Betrayal**

Kaiba clenched his jaw past the point of aching. He stood rock-steady as images flashed before him, scenes from his past that he had tried his best to forget. Fights. Arguments. Misunderstandings. He could see tears coursing down Mokuba's cheeks, could see him falling to his knees. He saw himself yelling at the younger boy, on dozens of occasions, for dozens of reasons. He slammed doors. He punched walls. And always, there was a different image of Mokuba's tears that twisted a knife through Kaiba's chest.

Sure, he and Mokuba had arguments. But didn't all brothers? Even though Mokuba sometimes made him furious, that didn't change the fact that he was the one person Kaiba trusted. The one person he knew always cared. The one person he could depend on.

Mokuba felt the same . . . didn't he? Noah was wrong. Mokuba didn't hate him—he never had and never would.

So then why did Kaiba's throat feel tight and dry? Why were the muscles in his hands trembling? Why did he have a hard time breathing?

Then the one fight Kaiba remembered most appeared before him. The tremble grew more pronounced. His lungs stopped working altogether.

Kaiba had only betrayed Mokuba once in his entire life. And he would never forgive himself for it.

He could still remember the stress of that time—the kind that gave him never-ending, brutal headaches, the kind that made him an insomniac, the kind that wore his patience and sanity threadbare. He had been trying to slip under Gozaburo's radar and take control of the company. If he succeeded, he and Mokuba would have the future they had always dreamed of; the one he had always promised his younger brother. They would be free of poverty, free of Gozaburo, free to make their dreams come true.

But if he failed, Gozaburo would kill him. Kaiba had known that without a shadow of a doubt. If not with an outright method, then the man would have worked him to death. Or, worse, there was the possibility that Kaiba could never bring himself to fully consider; if he failed, Gozaburo could kill Mokuba.

So Kaiba had never given failure an opening to rear its devastating head. He had laid out each plan to the very last tiny detail. He thought through every single possibility until his headache became a migraine and the pain finally made him curl up in bed in the dark, dead silence, tears burning his eyes and blood seeping from where his teeth cut into his tongue. And he never, ever quit. He drove himself into the ground until he finally decided that he couldn't fail, and that he couldn't afford to wait any longer.

He had started with recruiting the Big Five to his cause. The Big Five were the pillars holding Gozaburo up, and the key to Kaiba's success. Kaiba knew just which words to say, just which tantalizing offers to hint at. He knew where to poke and prod and coax until each of the pillars abandoned Gozaburo and supported him instead. The next phase of his plan began: they all started buying shares of the company. Just a few at a time. Never drawing suspicion. Kaiba tiptoed around for weeks, holding his breath, watching the percentage count slowly tick closer and closer to the crucial 51% needed.

And yet something was wrong. Kaiba realized that, somehow, Gozaburo had begun to suspect. He could see it in the cold glint of the man's merciless eyes at dinner. In the way he began tracking each of Kaiba's movements more carefully. Worse still, in how his trust in the Big Five began to slip. Kaiba had to do something, and immediately, or else full realization would dawn, Gozaburo would seize 51% of the company first, and the brothers' future would shatter like a stained-glass window under gunfire.

Gozaburo had 49% of the company already, Kaiba knew, which was why he had been so meticulously careful in his actions. Buying 2% of KaibaCorp would be as easy to Gozaburo as the first move in a chess match. Kaiba felt cold fear crash over him as he realized, too late, that the game he had constructed required him to declare checkmate on Gozaburo before the man even realized he was playing. But chess couldn't be won unless _both _players made moves.

Kaiba could still remember how realization had brought him crashing to his knees on a hardwood floor after midnight, the only one in the house still awake, the only one losing his mind. He understood that to win the deadly game, he would have to let Gozaburo play, but get him to play only moves that Kaiba wanted. However, that knowledge wasn't what made his legs too weak to support his weight, or what made the taste of bile burn his throat.

It was the knowledge that Kaiba already knew every move to force Gozaburo into. Knew that it would work. Knew that it was the only way.

And knew that Mokuba was the chess piece he needed.

So, in order to protect their lives and their future, Kaiba begged silently for a forgiveness he didn't deserve, and forced himself to commit a sin he had never even dreamed of: Betrayal. The feeling weighed on his tongue, a putrid acid he couldn't swallow away or spit out. He had to accept it and act—the alternative was something he could never let happen. He scrawled out a small note to Gozaburo in a copy of Mokuba's uneven handwriting—the first of many. _I'm worried. I think Seto might be doing something bad._

He hid the note in Gozaburo's suitcase, fighting the urge to snatch it back out and burn it. Instead, he ran, and then he waited. The first time he saw Gozaburo that day, the smirk on the man's face said he'd received the message. There was no going back.

Kaiba continued to write messages, continued to gain Gozaburo's trust, and continued to keep him from buying more shares in the company. Gozaburo assumed Mokuba was on his side, and Mokuba had 2% of the company. Added to Gozaburo's shares, that made the crucial 51%. Kaiba knew Gozaburo's confidence and his ego well; he knew that the man wouldn't keep working if he thought his win was secure.

However, Kaiba wasn't prepared for the Big Five to confront him. Johnson's words still rang in his ears, low and suspicious. "_The five of us have received veiled threats from Gozaburo. It seems _someone_ is leaking word of our plan. Would you care to explain how that's possible when only the five of us and yourself know of it?"_

Kaiba's lightning-quick reflexes had both saved and damned him in the same instant as his eyes widened and his mouth formed a word that felt heavy as a chunk of glass on his tongue. The word fell from his lips and shattered in the frozen air, leaving behind a cut—not on his tongue, but on his heart—that could never be healed.

"_Mokuba. . . ."_

Under pressure from the Big Five, he had finally gone to confront his brother. He could remember each fatal step through the mansion. Each breath had burned like ice, shredding his lungs, frosting over his heart. He clenched his hands into fists at his sides to hide how his fingers trembled. The same plea chased itself through his mind over and over. _Forgive me, Mokuba. Please. Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me. . . ._

Before they had even reached Mokuba's room, the small boy came barreling down the hall. His entire face lit up when he saw his older brother and Kaiba felt his heart shatter like the glass word.

"_Seto! Guess what!"_

Kaiba still didn't know what it was Mokuba had wanted to say. Kaiba had taken a deep breath and let his face fall into a mask of fury. _Forgive me._ Each step he took forward had thundered in his ears like a judge's mallet, screaming out his guilt. _Forgive me. _

Mokuba had faltered, coming to a stop before him, a worried frown on his face. _"What's wrong, Seto?"_

_Forgive me._ His voice came out in a snarl that grated on his own ears. _"How dare you betray me!"_

Mokuba had taken a startled step back, his eyes wide. Innocent. _"Seto. . . ?"_

"_You told Gozaburo about my plan! How could you rat me out like that?"_

Horror had stricken Mokuba's expression and he shook his head fiercely._ "I didn't tell Gozaburo anything! Honest, Seto! I swear!"_

Gansley's voice rose in condemnation. _"Who else could have?"_

Nesbitt's joined in. _"What's the punishment for the traitor, Mr. Kaiba?"_

Kaiba couldn't respond. Mokuba's terrified brown eyes had met his in a silent plea he couldn't answer. He felt dizzy. Sick. Cold.

And the only thing he could do was barricade his true emotions behind a concrete wall and continue forward. _Please, forgive me._

"_Don't you understand how important this is? Does Gozaburo mean more to you than I do?__!"_

Tears filled Mokuba's eyes and he took a trembling step forward, one hand slowly rising toward Kaiba. Kaiba's throat constricted; he couldn't breathe. _Don't, Mokuba. Please, don't. . . ._

"_I-I—"_ The boy swallowed and the tears spilled over, sliding down his cheeks. _"I promise, I-I'd never betray you, Seto. I swear I didn't say anything!"_

His hand had curled around Kaiba's arm. Ice shot through Kaiba's bones. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gansley's face pinch up in a frown. He knew what the Big Five expected his reaction to be. Anything else would rouse suspicion.

_Forgive me. . . ._

"_You liar!"_ He shoved his arm forward into Mokuba's chest. The boy lost his grip and his balance, crashing backward to the floor with a cry. _"Get out of my sight!"_

For just a moment, Mokuba brought his eyes up to meet Kaiba's once more. They held no accusation, just pain. The same pain Kaiba could feel shredding him from the inside out. Then the boy ducked his head. Sobs wracked Mokuba's small shoulders and he scooted backward, finally stumbling to his feet. He ran, and every thread of Kaiba's existence had begged him to follow.

But he couldn't.

"Enjoying yourself, dear Seto?" Noah's voice mocked, bleeding through the memory world around Kaiba and tearing him forcefully back to the present.

Kaiba couldn't respond—he knew his voice would break. He cleared his throat and blinked hard, trying to wash away the fresh pain of old memories.

In the end, hadn't he done the only thing he could? After the confrontation with Mokuba, he had ordered the Big Five to buy the few remaining stocks, and had marched in to face Gozaburo with 49% of the company, all the while praying in his heart that Mokuba would pull through for him when he didn't deserve it.

And he had. Just as he always did. After Gozaburo declared his triumph and superiority, as he drew breath to pass judgment on Kaiba and the Big Five, Mokuba burst in on the meeting and shouted to everyone how he was giving his 2% to Kaiba. How they were a team. How nothing would change that.

Late that night—the first moment they'd had alone together all day—Kaiba had tried to apologize, to explain everything to Mokuba. He wanted to beg forgiveness out loud. Yet he couldn't, because as soon as he opened his mouth, terror froze his blood. He couldn't forgive himself for what he'd done, so how could he ask his brother to?

Mokuba's expression had turned startled as he watched his older brother. _"Seto . . . why are you crying?"_

Kaiba had reached out and pulled his brother into a crushing hug in response, something he hadn't done in years. Mokuba hesitated only a second before returning the pressure, burying his face in the teen's chest. Tears of ice continued to slide down Kaiba's cheeks and he had whispered in a broken, trembling voice, _"I'm sorry, Mokuba."_ He had tried to say a million things—it's all my fault; I never wanted to hurt you; I promised to protect you—but all he could manage was to repeat the whisper. _"I'm so sorry."_

The memories faded to black, leaving him in an endless abyss of shadows dark as sin. Dark as betrayal.

"You know, Seto." Noah's voice pierced the darkness, low and venomous. "I thought I knew how horrible of a person you were before we met, but then I got this delightful opportunity to sift through your memories in my world. I knew you treated normal people like dirt, but your own brother? I have to admit, even I was surprised."

The boy materialized before him, his hands shoved in his pockets, his expression as dark as the shadows around them.

"Shut up," Kaiba hissed through clenched teeth.

Noah lifted one shoulder in a shallow shrug. "I guess it really doesn't matter. What matters is the moment." His eyes locked on Kaiba's. Narrow, cold, and determined. "All that matters is that we're going to duel, I'm going to win, and what was always meant to be mine finally will be."

"Give me back my brother and I'll gladly settle things with you," Kaiba snarled.

Noah suddenly smiled, an expression that barely lifted the corners of his lips and that didn't betray a whisper of anything happy. "Isn't it funny how you never even bothered to look at a picture?"

Kaiba stilled for a moment, confused.

"Well?"

"Well what?" Kaiba snapped, wondering if Noah was just trying to confuse him.

"You should have been able to identify me on sight, Seto. My name should have been engraved in your very being. And instead, you don't know a thing about me, do you?"

"Look, I don't know what you're rambling about, but I want Mokuba back n—"

Noah cut him off, his voice cracking through the dark air like thunder. "I know absolutely every scrap of available information on you. I could have picked you out of a crowd of hundreds of people since the time we were both twelve years old. We've always been locked in this competition of skills, yet I'm the only one who knew. Tell me how that's fair."

A deep frown crossed Kaiba's face. Noah didn't look any older than thirteen, fifteen at most. Yet he had just suggested they were the same age. Not only that, but what was the nonsense about a competition?

"You stole my company, my future . . . even my name, and you didn't ever care who I was." Noah gave a harsh laugh. "I'm not a hard person to learn about, you know. With your life, you must have tried hard _not _to discover things."

"Your name?" Kaiba repeated slowly.

Noah's green eyes crackled with an unreadable emotion. "Let me finally tell you about myself, Seto. When I win this duel, I want you to look at me and know exactly who beat you. Exactly who proved himself superior." He pulled one hand from his pocket and held the first three fingers up, spread wide. "To make this short and easy, there are only three things you ever needed to learn about me. My name is Noah Kaiba. I'm the son of Gozaburo Kaiba. And I'm the rightful heir of KaibaCorp."

* * *

Krisalyn sat silently as Kaiba's memories continued to play out. Mokuba remained silent behind her as well. She might have thought he had fallen asleep from exhaustion, or that he wasn't watching the screens, except that at one point he whispered, "The most horrible day of my life."

She could understand what made him say that as the memory version of Seto screamed accusations at the memory Mokuba. But she also saw how Mokuba stood by him anyway. She saw Seto's apology, his regret and grief. His genuine tears and the way he clutched Mokuba like he was afraid of losing him at any moment.

_I'm falling apart.  
I'm barely breathing,  
With a broken heart  
That's still beating._

She put a hand in her pocket, feeling her phone vibrate against her fingers as it rang.

_In the pain  
__There is healing.  
__In your—_

In one smooth movement, she pulled it out, flipped it open, and put it to her ear, but stayed silent.

"Hallo, Kris!" said a familiar voice, a heavy accent tinting his speech.

Her hand went cold at her brother's greeting. She had to swallow twice before she could say, "H-Hey."

"I know I said I vouldn't call you, but curiosity got 'ze better of me. How go your endeavors?"

In the background, she could hear Noah's voice echoing in the control room. Kaiba gave a sharp reply.

Krisalyn bit the inside of her cheek. Her eyes strayed to Kaiba's form on the screen, rigid and tense. Her memory strayed to Mokuba and his words.

"Hallo?"

Her arm felt weak and her palm slickened with sweat; she tightened her hold on the phone. She licked her lips, opened her mouth, and trusted her instincts to let the right words come tumbling out.

"I'm sorry, Z. We're actually having computer problems. I need both hands."

Holy. . . . She was going crazy. That was the only explanation for it. Mad as a hatter.

His voice conveyed his frown. "Oh. No'zing serious, I hope?"

She switched hands and wiped her palm on her pants, but the other one was just as sweaty. "I hope not too. I'll call you when everything's sorted out."

For better or worse.

"Okay." He sighed. "Good luck."

"Thanks. Love you."

This time, his voice conveyed a smile. "Yuck."

The phone went dead and she slowly flipped it closed. Her mind just barely caught Noah's words as he said, "—the son of Gozaburo Kaiba. And I'm the rightful heir of KaibaCorp."

She swiveled her chair in time for Mokuba's gasp. He stared with wide eyes at the screen, then at her.

"Is that . . . true? Is Noah really our . . . brother?"

"Adoptive brother, yeah," she said quietly, her mind still reeling from her own actions. She took one more deep breath, slid her eyes over the screens in the control room and then the locked exit door.

"Mokuba," she said. "How badly do you want to help Seto and your friends?"

Seconds passed as he stared at her. Then, slowly, a smile curved the edges of his mouth, becoming a grin. Instead of answering, all he did was nod, as if giving her permission for the betrayal she was about to commit.

Yeah. She was definitely going insane.

* * *

_Authoress's Note: You thought I'd dropped off the face of the planet, didn't you? (dodges thrown objects of every kind) **I'M SORRY FOR MY LONG ABSENCE! REALLY I AM!** I have a goal to finish my first non-fanfiction novel before my next birthday, so I've been trying to work on that. But I'm truly a sucker for FF, so naturally I couldn't ever leave this alone completely. I AM sorry for the long break, and I solemnly swear that (in addition to being up to no good) you won't have to wait long for the next chapter. It's good to be back, and I sincerely hope you guys aren't too mad at me to review. Pretty please?_


	31. Chapter 30: Beginning of a Duel and Race

**Chapter 30: Beginning of a Duel and a Race**

"You're trying to tell me we're brothers?" Kaiba said flatly, after he absorbed Noah's words.

"Not at all, dear Seto," Noah sneered. "Who'd want to be brothers with you? I'm trying to tell you that you stole everything from me, and now I'm here to get it back."

"You honestly expect me to believe you're Gozaburo's son? Are you going to tell me the proof is that you inherited his green hair?"

For a moment, Noah bristled childishly. "The green is a digital change I made. I happen to like it. But yes, normally I do have my father's _black_ hair."

Kaiba snorted. "Oh, my mistake then. I believe you completely."

Despite his words, he peered closer at Noah. Why would the brat claim something so ridiculous? Kaiba had come to accept the fact that everyone and their dog and their goldfish wanted to take over KaibaCorp—he'd stopped expecting a reason beyond greed.

So why did Noah offer one?

"You can deny the truth all you want, but that doesn't change it," Noah said, narrowing his eyes.

"Look, Noah, I've done my research on Gozaburo Kaiba, and even though he was married once, he never had any kids. So why don't you quit with the games and just get on with it?"

But a feeling nagged at the back of Kaiba's mind, like there was something he should remember.

"Liar!" Noah snapped. "I was his only child. He gave me everything anyone could ever want—private tutors, pets, gifts, anything I asked for. He did everything for me. He even adopted you to help me!"

Kaiba snorted again. "Okay, if your story wasn't ridiculous before, you completely blew it with that last part."

"Oh, believe me," Noah's mouth twisted in a humorless grin, "it all makes sense in the end. Here, Seto, let me show you my life."

He waved an arm and the darkness retreated, revealing the Kaiba mansion. Noah stood in one of the gardens, his eyes closed, his arm drawing the bow of a violin across the strings, playing out a rising melody. He looked the same age as the Noah standing in front of Kaiba, the only difference being that he did have midnight black hair.

Gozaburo stood behind the memory Noah with his arms folded, his expression blank, even bored. Noah drew out one long note from the instrument in his hands, then a hint of a smile crossed his face and he danced his fingers over the strings in a sudden change, pulling the violin into a staccato melody that for some reason reminded Kaiba of summer rain showers.

Without a word, Gozaburo turned and disappeared inside the house. Oblivious to his absence, Noah continued to play, his eyebrows drawing together the slightest bit, showing his concentration. The piece finished with three quick chords and Noah's eyes slid open. Beaming, he lowered the instrument and turned, only to stop short when he faced nothing but an empty yard.

Well, at least he's got Gozaburo's personality nailed in his fake little movie show, Kaiba thought. The feeling continued to tug at the back of his mind.

Noah looked down at the ground, his hand tightening around the violin. After a moment, he whirled around and chucked the instrument, his eyes brimming with tears. The violin sailed over the garden fence and landed somewhere on the other side with a sickening crunch. Noah sank down onto the garden grass and buried his face in his knees.

"Not that this isn't touching, Noah," Kaiba drawled. "But you can cut the act."

Thunderclouds roiled in Noah's dark blue eyes and he shoved his hands in his pockets. "Believe me, Seto, if I wanted to put on an act for you, I'd convince you I was the prince of England, and that I was still alive."

Kaiba frowned. Still alive?

Before he could ask, the memory Noah suddenly scrambled to his feet and ran to the garden gate, throwing it open. The scene shifted so that Kaiba and the present-day Noah stood on the other side of the fence with him. The boy's violin lay splintered in the middle of the road. Noah rushed forward to it, never once looking to the approaching car. Despite himself, Kaiba felt his muscles tense. Noah dropped to his knees, reached for the broken instrument. The car slammed on its brakes, blared its horn. Noah turned his head.

Kaiba looked away, but he still heard Noah's scream, and the impact. Everything faded to black.

"They rushed me to the hospital," Noah said, his voice disinterested, as if he was talking about someone other than himself. "Doctors did what they could. Father called in specialists. They did what they could. But I was completely paralyzed, and I was dying."

"If this really happened, how could you be standing right here?" Kaiba said. He'd meant to make it sound more scathing, but he still felt sick as Noah's scream echoed in his ears.

Noah ignored him. "So Father turned away from medical science and put his faith in the latest technology. He had my mind uploaded into his computer system. It was a successful process and I awoke in a virtual world he had created." His eyes flashed with something unreadable. "However, as a virtual being, I couldn't do the one thing I had been groomed for since birth—run Father's company. That's where you come in, Seto."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes.

"You confronted my father at the orphanage and he decided to adopt you—"

"News flash, brat. He didn't _decide_ to adopt me—I convinced him to take a gamble that he lost."

Noah continued as if he hadn't said anything. "—because he realized that you would make the perfect body for me."

Kaiba's heart skipped and his face flushed in anger. "_What?_"

"We were the same age, and your high level of intelligence meant no one would be suspicious if Father handed his company to some random orphan. So Father adopted you and made a public show of grooming you to be the next head of KaibaCorp. He waited patiently for the press to ease up their close scrutiny on you, so that no one would notice when your personality suddenly changed. But as time passed, something interesting happened." Noah's eyes hardened, locking on Kaiba's. "Father's visits to me began to slow, until they finally stopped altogether. Now why do you suppose that is?"

With a start, Kaiba realized what had been nagging at him. Once, just once, he had glimpsed a newspaper article about himself that mentioned someone else. Kaiba's stomach went cold as he remembered the headline: _Gozaburo Kaiba Attempts to Replace Lost Son with Adopted Child Prodigy?_ Since Kaiba had never been able to find out anything more on the matter, and since he had never gotten to read the actual article—Gozaburo had been holding it when he caught a glimpse—he had written it off as a mistake, or assumed that 'lost son' referred to something else, since you could never tell with reporter speech. He'd had more pressing things on his mind to deal with anyway since he had still been adjusting to life with Gozaburo.

Was Noah's story really true?

"No ideas? That's not like you, Seto." Noah shrugged, a sharp movement. "I tried to find out for myself, but, next thing I knew, you had seized control of KaibaCorp, and my father's disappearance was all over the news."

Kaiba ground his teeth. He didn't speak—his brain didn't know what to make of the situation, so trying to find something to say would be pointless.

Noah clenched a fist. "I'll tell you why my father stopped visiting—because you'd stolen him from me. You tricked him into thinking that _you_ would be the better heir—that you could be more than me! But in the end, he knew better, didn't he? He wouldn't give you the company, so you stole it for yourself!"

"That's not true!" Kaiba growled.

"Don't try lying to me!" Noah hissed. He snapped and duel disks appeared on both of their arms. "I'm going to win back what was always rightfully mine, and I'm going to prove that I deserve it more than you ever could!"

"You're a fool if you think winning one duel can prove you're worthy to run my company."

"Nonsense, Seto, I'm just playing on your level. You won my father with a chess game, and now I'm going to win him back with a duel."

The darkness around them receded, replaced by barren hills made of black rock. Little rivers of lava wound their way around the high places, steam rising from their paths.

"Aren't lava fields wonderful?" Noah said, gesturing at the land around them. "They bring the past and present together to meet—the molten lava of now twined around the cooled, hardened lava of times past."

He held his free hand up and a deck materialized in the air. He shuffled through it twice and pulled out one card without announcing the title. His deck master card vanished, though no monster appeared behind him. Noah didn't seem to notice and he slid the deck into his duel disk, activating his lifepoint counter.

"I've taken the liberty of giving you the same deck you used against the Big Five. Want to switch any cards?"

A deck appeared before Kaiba and he shuffled through it.

"I'll take that as a no."

"Let's get one thing straight, Noah. When I win this duel, you're going to return Mokuba to me immediately, understood?"

Noah smirked, but his eyes were hard. "I'm offended you think I'd do otherwise."

Kaiba drew out a card and held it up. "I choose Blue Eyes White Dragon as my deck master."

"I hope you trust it with your life, Seto, since that's what you're betting on this game."

"Believe me, punk, this is no game." Kaiba snapped his deck into place and his point-counter scrolled to life. "Let's duel!"

* * *

"_Mokuba, I want you to watch this. Listen to Noah, just for a few minutes."_

The words echoed in Mokuba's mind, a silent whisper that repeated itself over and over as he followed its request. Krisalyn herself remained silent after those few words, her own eyes fixed on the screens around them.

After she had asked him how badly he wanted to help Seto, Mokuba had thought he might explode from hope. But before he could even ask if she would help him, she had pointed to the screen and said that—"_Mokuba, I want you to watch this."_

Something in her words was so serious he couldn't even open his mouth to respond; he simply turned his gaze to the confrontation between Noah and his brother. Both of my brothers, he thought. The idea still brought an odd feeling to his chest. Noah was Gozaburo's son? It seemed crazy.

But . . . he believed it. It made Noah's actions make sense, and why would he lie?

The more Mokuba watched Noah and listened to him, the firmer the belief became, joined by another feeling—empathy. Just a glimpse of Noah's memories showed him that Gozaburo hadn't cared any more for his real son than he'd cared for his adopted ones.

But that was the only thing Mokuba could empathize with—he couldn't even imagine what it would be like to only exist virtually. To not have a body. To not have a family, or friends. To be completely isolated.

The scene melted to a lava field and Mokuba jolted out of his thoughts. His eyes itched and when he rubbed at one, his hand came away wet. When had he started crying? He quickly scrubbed the tears from his cheeks, trying to ignore the heavy silence in the room as Noah shuffled his deck.

Krisalyn took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "Alright, Mokuba. Before I do anything, you have to answer a question for me, deal?"

Mokuba paused, blinking in surprise; he had expected her to ask him about Noah. After a moment, he nodded.

"You have to answer immediately and honestly. Promise?"

He nodded again. "I promise."

Her expression gave no hint about what she was going to ask. She met his eyes evenly and waited a moment, as if letting him ready his mind.

"Understand this, Mokuba. I have access to Noah's entire computer system—security, the virtual world, the mechanisms keeping your blimp locked in place, the automatic lock on the door of this room, every detail." She paused, waiting until he dipped his head in acknowledgement before she continued, "Here's my question: If you could ask me for one thing right now—only one—and you had my solemn promise I'd do it, what would you ask for?"

A hundred possibilities flashed through his mind before she even finished the last word—_send me back to Seto, release everyone, shut down the virtual world_—but one engulfed the rest, and he spoke it without hesitation.

"Save Noah."

She stared at him, shock highlighting her bright jade eyes. "What?"

"Well . . ." He shifted, rubbing his arms against a chill that had nothing to do with temperature. "Noah's only doing all this . . . 'cause he's lonely . . . right? And he just wants to prove to himself that . . . that Gozaburo didn't think of Seto as more of a son than him. He just wants to feel like his father loved him . . . even though he's just virtual." He swallowed against another set of tears, knowing all too well how hard it was to try to earn Gozaburo's love—and how impossible.

A soft smile graced Krisalyn's face and she leaned forward. "Never lose your kind heart, Mokuba."

Her comment effectively squashed the rising tears and he blushed. Krisalyn's face fell back into a mask of all-business.

"Well, you gave me your request, and you have my solemn promise I'll do it. But I think you'll have to help."

"I want to," Mokuba said immediately.

She nodded once. "Good. So, the first thing you should know—"

A blinding red light flashed on one of the control panels, accompanied by a siren's wail and an electronic voice.

"Warning: Intruder detected. Warning: Intruder detected."

Krisalyn let out a curse and spun her chair to face the panels. Her graceful fingers flew over the keys and the view screens changed to show security camera footage. Mokuba gasped as he recognized the figure on screen.

"Malik!"

Krisalyn growled, "Life's timing hates me."

Malik spread his arms wide and brought his eyes up squarely to meet the camera's view. He bared his teeth in a grin poisoned with insanity.

"I see you," he said. "Did you miss me?"

Mokuba shivered involuntarily—it really felt as if Malik's eyes penetrated his soul.

Krisalyn jammed a finger down on one of the buttons and snarled, "How did you escape detection?"

"I have my ways." He let out a chuckle, like he was about to tell a joke he never ceased to find hilarious. "You've interfered with my plans, something I don't appreciate. But now I've found the way to get events back on course."

Krisalyn continued to type with her left hand, closing text-boxes and windows on the screen almost as soon as she opened them. With her right hand, she pressed the same button once more.

"You've already ignored warnings, but I'll give you one last chance. Surrender, or I'll be forced to take action."

Malik reached back and pulled the Millennium Rod from under his cape, running his tongue over the tip of one of its wings. Mokuba shivered again.

"We know how well that worked last time," he said, tapping his pointer finger on the rod's shaft.

"Last chance," Krisalyn barked.

Malik grinned again. "Your warning is meaningless; you should cherish the one I give _you_. The former owner of this body is useless when it comes to modern technology. However, another fool gave me the fortunate opportunity of accessing _your _mind, and you were of infinite help. Computers really are fascinating objects, are they not? As are . . . _missiles_." He pointed the rod at the camera screen and it began to glow, highlighting the excited craze in his wild expression. "Tell the Pharaoh our game resumes as of now."

The image exploded in a blast of light, vanishing to leave only a black screen. Krisalyn paled to bone-white, her fingers frozen over the keys.

"What is it?" Mokuba asked, goose-bumps raising on his arms and neck.

Krisalyn cursed and jerked up out of her chair. She crossed to another control panel in one stride and jammed her hand down on another button.

"State your password," a computerized voice said, echoing in the metal room.

"Virtual November." Panic laced Krisalyn's voice, but she kept her tone measured and even. Mokuba kept quiet so he wouldn't mess up the communication, but he wondered what her password meant, and he tried not to think about what Malik might be up to that she was trying to stop.

"Password and voice pattern recognized. Issue command."

"Emergency lockdown, engage in three. Refuse access: Control Room 1, Control Room 3, Control Room 4, hanger, lower floor, virtual room."

"Command accepted. Issue override password?"

"Yes. Recognized voice pattern: Virtual November. Unrecognized voice pattern: 3t71w2e07db98d8v5."

Mokuba's eyes shot wide open; he barely stopped himself from gasping. That was Seto's password!

"Override passwords applied," the computer said. "Issue additional command?"

"Yes. Resurface."

"Command accepted. Issue additional command?"

"No."

"Commencing commands. Lockdown in three . . . two . . . one."

Mokuba jumped as the sound of deadbolt after deadbolt snapping into place echoed from the security camera screens.

"Lockdown complete. Beginning resurface. Estimated time frame: Three minutes."

Krisalyn pulled away from the control panel, her face grim. "Locked doors won't keep him out—just slow him down."

Mokuba could hold back his questions no longer. "What did Malik mean about the rod and your mind and computers and missiles? What's he doing? What were _you_ doing? Why didn't you lock a Control Room 2? What about Seto and the others? How did you get Seto's password? What's "resurface?" Why—"

"We don't have time," Krisalyn interrupted. She keyed something else in, causing every screen to go black, then looked up and met his eyes. "Mokuba, I know this is unfair, but do you trust me?"

He found himself nodding as soon as she finished the question, surprising himself. Almost everything he knew about her was bad, but, despite that, his instincts still told him she was good, and he always trusted his instincts about people.

She gave a tight smile. "I don't deserve that, but I really do appreciate it. Explaining everything would take too long, but I'll say what I can. Malik somehow discovered that on top of being in charge of the virtual world, this base also has computer access to a satellite Gozaburo launched years ago—a satellite loaded with missiles."

"That can't be!" Mokuba cried. "Seto destroyed all of Kaiba Corp's old weapon stuff!"

Krisalyn shook her head, her eyes dark. "This wasn't registered to Kaiba Corp; it was something Gozaburo kept personally. Illegally, I might add, but money seems to override the law these days." She hesitated. "Gozaburo kept the missiles ready to launch. If Malik accesses them. . . ."

She didn't have to finish. Mokuba knew. Horror churned his stomach, making him feel sick. He didn't want to think about everything Malik could do with a set of missiles at his command.

"How do we stop him?" he asked desperately.

"_We_ don't," Krisalyn replied. "I'm going after him—you have to get everyone out of the virtual world. . . . Just in case."

"Just in case of what?" he whispered, afraid of the answer.

"Just in case he's aiming for this base. As a safety precaution."

Mokuba felt panic well up in his throat, choking off his voice. Krisalyn offered him a tight smile.

"To answer some more of your questions, I didn't lock Control Room 2 because that's the room we're in, and it's already locked," she said. "I used Kaiba's password as the override because I knew you would know it, so you can access the virtual room and the hanger, to get everyone out. I'll point you to the virtual room, and then I need you to get back in the world and explain what's happening to Noah. You heard my password—use it to convince him you're not lying. Usually I'm the only one who can release people from the virtual world, but on lockdown, the emergency exit opens. He can lead you to that."

"B-But . . . I . . ." He struggled to get his voice back under control. "You can't go after Malik alone!"

She gave him no response, just crossed the room to the door and keyed something into a panel on the wall. A click met Mokuba's ears and the door slid open.

Krisalyn turned her head to meet his eyes again, pointing down the hallway. "Straight down this hallway, first left, straight down, second right, and the door's on your right. There's a keypad access next to it, press the white button to enter the override password. Noah can tell you how to get to the hanger."

"What about you?" he whispered, feeling cold. "What about Noah?"

She gave another tight smile, her eyes intense. "I'll stop this freak before he gets a chance to do anything. Then I suppose I'll have to apologize to Noah for interrupting the duel he's waited so long for. Now come on; we don't have much time."

Mokuba hesitated. He wanted to say so much, but no words formed on his tongue. He took one step forward, then broke into a run, unable to meet Krisalyn's eyes as he passed, tears forming in his own.

He wanted to believe her confidence. He tried. But he couldn't ignore that, despite the fact she said she would win, she was still telling him to get everyone off the base. _Just in case. . . ._

And if the base with its virtual world got destroyed, so would the brother he'd never known.

* * *

_Authoress's Note: Look! I didn't take eternity! XP For those of you wondering, Yori and everyone else will return in the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed this one!_


	32. Chapter 31: Flood

_Chapter 31: Flood_

Yami blinked slowly, fighting a feeling of grogginess like he'd been asleep for days. He had the impression that time had shifted around him and he looked around, absorbing the black surroundings streaked through with orange and red. Hadn't he been somewhere else a moment ago?

"Where are we?" Téa asked from behind him, her voice a bit hoarse, as if it had been out of use for a while.

Yami shook his head helplessly. "I've never seen anything like it."

"_Lava!_" an energetic voice crowed, one Yami had come to recognize as Dante's. He turned to see the dragon-turned-human practically dancing in glee.

"Glad to see _someone's_ not fazed by this weirdness," Duke muttered. "We were at a dueling site a second ago, trying to decide how to find Kaiba. How'd we get here?"

"Guys, I think we're still at a dueling site," Yori said. She stepped forward and pointed. Yami turned again and saw Kaiba and Noah facing off in the distance. Without a word, Yori started jogging forward and everyone else followed.

As they approached, Noah turned to face them, raising his eyebrows. Kaiba kept his attention focused solely on Noah.

"I wondered what Krisalyn had in mind when she froze all of you," Noah said, his voice breezy and cold. He shrugged. "Well, you're here just in time to witness the fall of the mighty Seto Kaiba."

Kaiba growled and slid two cards into place on his duel disk. "More accurately, Noah, they're here just in time to see you finally put in your place. I'll summon Giant Germ [1000/100] and place one face-down card. Your move."

"So this is it, huh?" Yugi said, stepping up next to Yami, his voice sober. "This is the confrontation everything's been leading up to."

Yami nodded, staring at Kaiba. Though the teen had his normal air of determination and carried himself as straight and tall as ever, his expression seemed just a bit haggard and tense. In addition, there seemed to be an almost tangible void at his side where a smaller boy belonged.

"Where's Mokuba?" Yori asked worriedly, just as he had the thought.

"Noah," was all Kaiba said, the word hissing out from between gritted teeth.

Noah smirked. "You have my word he's safe. Anyway, you have more important things to worry about—like how you're about to lose everything. The future starts now, Seto." He held up a card and then dropped it into play. "I summon Psychic Mage [1300/1100], and I'll use his special ability to predict that the face-down card you played is a trap. If I'm right, my mage gets to destroy both it _and_ your monster."

The card rose, revealing its underside to be a Crush trap card. Noah tsked as it and Giant Germ disappeared, dropping Kaiba's lifepoints to 3700.

"Getting careless in your impatience, step-brother?" Noah's smirk widened. "I'm beginning to wonder how you had the skills to run my company as long as you have."

Yami blinked, unsure if he'd understood correctly. He'd heard the term "step-brother" used before, but he felt positive Noah couldn't mean he and Kaiba were related. Perhaps it was one of those modern slang terms that had multiple meanings?

From the collective gasp that rang out in the rest of the group, he guessed not.

Kaiba jerked a card from his deck, his expression dark. He pointed at the field and Giant Germ reappeared. "My monster's special effect allows it to return to the field after it's destroyed, inflicting 500 points of direct damage to your lifepoints."

Noah's smirk faded as his lifepoints scrolled down to 3500.

"Still doubting my skills?" Kaiba asked, though his voice lacked its normal gloating undertone.

"Whoa, hold on, rich-boy!" Joey shouted, stepping forward. "You're just gonna keep dueling calmly? That punk ain't really your step-brother, is he?"

"That doesn't make sense. . . ." Yori whispered, glancing at Yami. "If it was true, why would Noah be attacking his own brother?"

Yami shrugged helplessly. He tried to find something to say, but his mind remained blank. He didn't understand the situation any better than she did.

"So he claims," Kaiba said, glancing at Joey. He traded one card on his disk for another. "I'll sacrifice my Giant Germ to summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp [1800/1000], and I'll use him to destroy your mage."

Noah's mage let out a pitiful shriek and Noah's lifepoints scrolled down to 3000.

"I'm the son of Gozaburo Kaiba," Noah said, raking his eyes over everyone before bringing them back to Kaiba. They narrowed. "His _only_ son."

"I certainly won't fight for that spot," Kaiba muttered, barely loud enough that Yami caught it.

"But, Noah, if Kaiba's your brother, why are you doing all of this to him?" Serenity demanded.

Noah whipped his head around to face her, his eyes dark storm clouds in a mask of fury. "To win back what's rightfully mine. To prove it should have been mine all along. To become everything I always should have been!"

"But he's your brother!" Serenity said.

"If you want to become something," Yori snapped, "that's a battle you fight against yourself, not someone else."

Noah snorted. "If that's true, why haven't _you_ amounted to anything?"

Yami bristled and opened his mouth, but Yori's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Getting defensive will only make him think he's right," she whispered. A hint of a smile crossed her lips. "But thank you."

He growled but forced himself not to speak. For the moment. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dante slide forward to stand next to Yori, a silent fury burning in the dragon-human's eyes as well.

Noah turned back to the duel. "I summon Ares [1300/800], and I'll use my Fissure card to destroy your monster so that you're open for a direct attack!"

The blast hit Kaiba square in the chest, but he stood his ground, sliding back a few inches. His face twisted in a grimace of pain and his lifepoints dropped to 2400.

"Come on, step-brother," Noah taunted. "You're making this too easy. Use some strategy; make me work for victory."

Kaiba ripped a card from his deck without a word, played Pot of Greed, and drew two more. "I activate my Limit magic card, which prevents you from playing any monster or trap cards on your next turn. Then I'll summon my Sea Dragon [1400/1000] to take out your Ares."

Noah calmly drew a card as his lifepoints dropped to 2900. "I guess that means I end my turn, but do you really think that's enough to stop me, Seto?"

Yami gritted his teeth. He hated standing outside a duel—he had no clue what either Kaiba or Noah had planned.

Kaiba smirked, a hard, dark expression. "This duel is over, Noah. You can't measure up to me; you never could. I'll be taking Kaiba Corp and my brother and leaving you to rot in this insane little digital game you love so much."

Noah's expression twisted to mirror Kaiba's. "I would love to see you try, dear Seto. I would _love_ to see you try."

"Then watch closely, punk. I summon Land Dragon [1200/1000]. When my two dragons attack at the same time, each of their attack powers increase by 300 points, which adds up to more life points than you have left. This is it, Noah!"

"I don't believe it," Duke said quietly. "Kaiba's won already!"

"Yeah, rich boy!" Joey cheered, a grin nearly splitting his face. "Way to put that brat in his place!"

"I'm not so sure," Yami whispered, a bad feeling crawling in the pit of his stomach. At his side, Yugi nodded, looking uneasy.

The twin dragons rushed straight at Noah, but the boy paid them no mind. Instead, Noah pressed one hand to his forehead, his shoulders heaving with mirth.

"Really, Seto?" he called, shaking his head at some unseen naivety. He moved his hand and pointed straight up. The clouds above the dueling field parted, revealing a massive wooden ark. "Have you forgotten my deck master so soon? Pity. I activate Shinato's Ark's special ability!"

Two balls of golden light shot straight down from the ark, hitting the ground between Noah and Kaiba's dragons just before they reached their target. The dragons let out twin screeches and vanished from the playing field, taking 500 of Kaiba's lifepoints with them.

"Hey, what was that?" Joey demanded.

Kaiba fisted his hands at his side, but remained silent.

"There's no way Noah would go down that easily," Yugi said with a grimace. "Not after all the effort he's put into getting to this duel."

"Surprised?" Noah purred. "Shinato's Ark acts as the graveyard for whatever duel it's in, but since the graveyard is under my control, I have access to everything it holds. Thus the ark's special ability allows me to summon back already-destroyed monsters to defend my lifepoints when I'm in need—and since Ares and La Jinn have higher attack powers, your dragons met a pointless death."

"That ark won't be enough to save you," Kaiba growled.

"If it's not, then it's a good thing it's not the only ace I have hidden up my sleeve." Noah said. He drew a card. "I'd like to see what you do next, Seto, so I think I'll place one face-down card and end my turn again."

Kaiba slid two cards into play. "I'll play Trap Master [500/1100] and use his special ability to reveal your face-down card."

The card rose to reveal itself as the magic card Giant Flood.

Noah smiled. "Sorry to disappoint—Trap Master can't destroy magic cards."

The muscles along Kaiba's jaw tightened and he switched his monster to defense mode.

Noah drew a card and hummed thoughtfully. "I think it's time for a change of scenery, don't you? Since you already revealed my Giant Flood, I'll go ahead and activate it. "

The card vanished and a tidal wave took shape in the rock hills behind Noah as he swept his gaze over everyone, a delighted glint in his eyes.

"Brace yourselves," he said.

The wall of water crashed down on the black rock and trails of lava vanished in loud hisses of steam. The flood rushed toward them and without thinking, Yami grabbed Yori's hand, ready to brace himself against the water's impact. Someone else had a better idea—Dante leapt forward, changing his form fluidly to a dragon. The red and black beast grew until he reached the size they'd first met him as, then he hunkered down between everyone and the oncoming flood, digging his claws into the rock.

'_Close to me!'_ he barked.

Still gripping Yori's hand, Yami backed himself up against Dante's side and pulled her close. The others crowded in around them and Dante curled himself to provide the best wall possible.

The water reached Noah first, who Yami could just see past Dante's tail. The boy kept his back to the flood and spread his arms wide, throwing his head back and laughing as the water engulfed him up to the neck. He didn't seem to move under the pressure at all.

Kaiba faced it head on, leaning forward with his knees bent. The water broke around him and he rocked under the impact but didn't fall. At the same time, Yami saw the water parting around Dante, rushing in to swirl around everyone's legs, but already robbed of its force. When the water spread to cover everything in sight, it had receded to be only ankle deep.

Dante rose and shook himself, spraying them all with a light rain shower of water droplets.

'_Killing good lava for no reason . . .'_ he grumbled. He snorted smoke and then began to shrink, shifting forms to become human again. "Ridiculous is what it is. Mistress, I do not like nor appreciate this fungus-haired Noah person."

Yori shook her head with a helpless smile and squeezed Yami's hand. He felt a blush rising in his neck and quickly released her, stepping back. They both grinned and tried not to meet each other's eyes.

"What the heck kinda stunt was that, Noah?" Joey shouted. He stepped forward, managed to slip, and faceplanted in the water. Yami caught himself just before he laughed. Yugi, under the safety of spirit-hood, burst into giggles, joined by Téa.

"Joey, are you okay?" Serenity gasped.

"It's _Joey_," Duke said with a smile. "He does body-gags for a living."

Joey scrambled to his feet, sopping wet, and rounded on Duke. "Wanna say that again, Dicey?"

In response, Duke caught him in a headlock, grinning wickedly. Joey let out an "Urk!" and tried to twist away, to no avail.

"What's my name?" Duke asked in a sing-song voice. "I didn't quite hear you the first time."

Joey grinned back and jerked to one side. Duke let out a startled cry as they both tumbled sideways into the water. This time, no one tried to hold back laughter.

No one except Noah and Kaiba, who seemed to barely notice the activity of the non-duelists. Yami's laughter slowly died as he watched the two from the corner of his vision. The burst of elation Noah had seemed to feel under the rush of water had melted to his cocky but serious expression again and he faced Kaiba across a barren dueling field—both of their monsters had been swept away by the flood's effects.

Kaiba met Noah's gaze with a blank expression that for some reason gave Yami a slight chill. He'd seen Kaiba in multiple duels before and the CEO always radiated confidence, even when losing. Kaiba had an unseen spirit that never let him contemplate failure, one that gave him a visible strength Yami found himself sometimes jealous of.

Those were normal duels—when the stakes increased, that confidence seemed to vanish in a cold void, leaving something Yami couldn't describe. Something . . . wild. He had only seen it once before, when Mokuba's soul was on the line in Duelist Kingdom. It was like . . . Mokuba was an anchor to his confidence, so no matter how dangerous the duel, he was never afraid to lose. But when Mokuba got pulled into the mess, Kaiba's anchor vanished and he seemed to learn fear. He gave everything he had and more to the fight because for the first time, he was afraid of what would happen if he lost.

Yami shook his head. Why was he suddenly analyzing Kaiba? And had he admitted to jealousy? Why should he be jealous? Though Kaiba was an honorable duelist, his ego and position of power got him into more trouble than Yami cared to think about.

But . . . egotist or not, he was passionate. He never doubted himself, and when his brother was in danger, he threw himself wholeheartedly—downright recklessly—into the fight.

When had Yami ever done something like that? Didn't he always duel by logic? Had he ever had a reason to surrender completely to emotion instead, to a wild fight that he not only couldn't afford to lose, but wouldn't allow himself to because if he did, there would be nothing of himself left? Would he even have the courage to really fight if such an instance happened? Didn't he always hide behind the power of the Millennium Puzzle?

Did he have any power of his own at all?

The remaining water sank into the ground and the land around them melted from black to green. Cooled lava sprouted up to become dense, rich plant life, carpeting the ground save for three somehow-raised disks of bare rock where Kaiba, Noah, and the gathered "audience" stood. Mountains appeared in the distance, brushed with patches of fog. The heavy scent of hundreds of plants twisted through the now-humid air.

Noah breathed in deeply. "There, this is a much more fitting place for me to summon my Spinosaur [1000/1000], don't you think? Even better, I'll sacrifice him to bring out my Giant Rex [2000/1200], and I'll use the magic card King of Beasts to increase his attack power by 500 points."

"Uh oh, rich boy's only got 1900 lifepoints left," Joey said, sober and focused on the duel once again.

"But it's Kaiba," Serenity said, giving a hopeful smile. "I'm sure he's got some way out of it."

Duke grimaced. "Not with no cards on the field, he doesn't."

"Ashes, ashes," Noah chanted. He pointed at Kaiba and his monster charged forward with a roar, gleaming teeth bared. "They all fall down. Even the mighty."

"Only a brat like you would trust a nursery rhyme," Kaiba said. He held up a card. "My Defensive Dragon [300/1800] can be automatically summoned to the field in defense mode whenever I'm threatened by an attack greater than my remaining lifepoints."

Before anyone could cheer, Noah smiled. "Children know the truth about life, Seto—a 'child genius' should know that. I play the magic card Switch Position. It's over."

Yami smiled at the same time Kaiba smirked.

"You seem to have forgotten _my_ deck master. I activate my Blue Eyes's special ability! By sacrificing three cards from my hand, I can save any monster on the field from being attacked."

Noah's rex faltered, backing off sullenly. Noah himself shrugged.

"Even if you delay the end, it will still come," he said.

"Not my end." Kaiba drew a card and slid it into his duel disk. "I play Card Destruction."

"Afraid I might have something sinister hiding in my hand?" Noah taunted. "Or did you just want to generously give me more to draw from in Shinato's Ark?"

"They each only had one card," Téa mused. "So Kaiba probably wanted more to work with, right?"

"Yeah, and it isn't a huge sacrifice to give Noah, especially if they were weak cards," Yori agreed. "Smart move."

"Well, Kaiba ain't exactly an amateur at this." Joey grinned.

"But it doesn't seem like Noah is either," Yami said quietly.

The duelists drew new cards and Kaiba slid one into the graveyard. "I'll discard my Thunder Dragon [1600/1500], which allows me to draw two more. Then I'll use Polymerization to create Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon [2800/2100] and a Quick Attack magic card. Say goodbye to your Giant Rex."

The rex let out a shriek and disappeared; Noah's lifepoints scrolled down to 2100. As Noah moved to draw a card, Kaiba held up a hand.

"I'm not done yet," he said, his smirk once again in place. "I'll also play the magic card Double Back, which gives my monster the chance to attack again."

Noah shook his head. "Seto, Seto, have you already forgotten I can use any of the monsters in Shinato's Ark for defense? You can't get at my life points."

"That won't work on me twice, Noah—I'm a fast learner. Not only does Double Back let me attack twice, but the second time, I can go straight for your life points no matter how many monsters you have on the field. This time you have nowhere to hide!"

Noah's eyes went wide, but before he could speak, a shout caught everyone's attention. Yami couldn't tell what it said, but it came from near Noah, and a moment later, the air before the boy shimmered. Noah took a step back, eyeing the space with as much wariness and surprise as everyone else. Within seconds, a shape began to form, then solidify.

Everyone stared open-mouthed as a panic-stricken Mokuba appeared before Noah and shouted, "Noah, you have to get everyone out of the virtual world—there's an emergency!"

* * *

_Authoress's Note: Ugh, I'm a horrible person, I know. I hope you still enjoyed the chapter though!_


	33. Chapter 32: The Element of Madness

_Chapter 32: The Element of Madness_

Krisalyn watched Mokuba disappear down the hall, then took a deep breath. She felt a thread of cold fear squeeze her heart—she had promised to stop Malik, and she intended to, but she didn't know how. The first time she'd faced him . . . Well, that method wouldn't work, to say the least. She had to find an advantage over him.

She keyed in the lock sequence and stepped out of the doorway. The door slid shut behind her and deadbolted in place. From the security camera position, Malik was in a storage room near the hanger. Krisalyn set her jaw and started running.

How had Malik found out about the missiles? It wasn't exactly information she jotted down on sticky notes and left lying around; in fact, it had never been documented. She had learned by word of mouth, and certainly no one had passed it to Malik that way.

_. . . the fortunate opportunity of accessing _your_ mind . . . _

She growled and shook her head to clear the words. Absolutely ridiculous. She had been in the main control room all day, never in the virtual room, and there was no other way to "access the mind."

The satellite controlling the missiles had an entire control room dedicated to it—Control Room 4, the biggest room on the base outside the hanger. By a stroke of rotten luck, it was also the control room closest to Malik.

He probably planned things that way, Krisalyn thought. She ducked sideways down a hall and slammed her hand on the emergency override button outside Control Room 3.

"Enter override password," the computer said.

"Virtual November."

The door slid open and she keyed an access code into the first set of controls. Security camera footage appeared on the screens around her; Malik had already almost reached the satellite room. Krisalyn cursed. After a moment's hesitation, she opened a security command box.

The text read:_ -Nature of security breach?-_

She typed, _-Intruder. HW 12, apparent destination Control Room 4.-_

_-Threat level?-_

_-Maximum.-_

_-Releasing KaibaBots, rank five. Shoot to kill?-_

Her throat tightened. _-No. Incapacitate.-_

A warning message flashed on screen.

_-On targets of maximum security threat, it is encouraged to shoot to kill. Anything lower will increase danger and chance of mistake. Would you like to withdraw your command?-_

She hesitated again. If Malik Ishtar really launched the missiles at Noah's base, he could kill over twenty people. Did she have the right to put that many people in danger? Should she try to kill him first?

_-Yes.-_

_-Command withdrawn.-_

Did she have the right to pass a death sentence?

_-Releasing KaibaBots, rank five. Shoot to kill?-_

Could she live with herself afterward?

She set her jaw and typed, _-No. Incapacitate.-_

The warning message flashed again and she declined. Whether Malik succeeded in launching the missiles or not, she would have no one's death on her hands. She could get everyone out.

_-KaibaBots activated.-_

The command box vanished and she watched on the security cameras as the robots unfolded themselves from hidden panels in the walls, swarming toward Malik.

But Malik merely smiled and said loudly, "Fool. I've seen your mind, remember? Your pitiful 'KaibaBots' don't intimidate me."

The rod in his hands flashed and the guns on the first robot melted, along with its legs. Sparks burst from the wiring, spraying in a golden cascade over the metal floor. The next two robots fired, but Malik deflected the shots and transformed those two into melting hunks of metal as well.

"Stay calm," Krisalyn whispered to herself as her stomach twisted. "At least he stopped moving."

But how long would that last?

Okay, okay. She took a deep breath, her mind churning frantically. Things would be much easier if she could just change the password on the missiles, but the system had no password. Gozaburo had designed it to be quickly accessed, trusting in the security of everything else to keep it safe. She snorted. Smart as the man was about business, security obviously wasn't his forte.

Her fingers faltered and she looked down at the keyboard. She could always rewrite the system and apply a password. No, that was insane—she didn't have time to rewrite an entire system before Malik got there.

But she could apply a password-protected firewall of sorts to it. Malik would have to bypass that to reach the real program.

She jerked her head up to look at the screen once more. The robots wouldn't keep him occupied much longer, and she could only make changes to the satellite program if she was actually in Control Room 4, since it had no remote access. She needed more time.

She moved to another set of controls and opened a communication line. "Computer, remote access Control Room 1, sanitation system."

"Access denied. Control Room 1 is on lockdown. Lockdown command may be negated in Control Room 2."

Oh, duh. Krisalyn resisted the urge to faceplant on the keyboard. Malik melted another set of robots, letting out a hair-raising cackle.

"Is this the best you can give?" he taunted, wagging his tongue at the camera.

She scowled. "I'm not done yet."

If she couldn't access the sanitation system, she'd get the computer to do it for her. Moving back to her original spot, she opened the security command box once more.

_-Nature of security breach?-_

_-Chemical spill. HWs 13-15.-_

She crossed her fingers, wondering if the computer even had a function for chemical spills.

Sure enough: _-Threat level?-_

She breathed a sigh of relief. _-Maximum.-_

_-Measures to be taken?-_

_-Sanitize immediately. Flood hallways. Fog hallways. Activate CleaningBots.-_

_-Evacuate?-_

_-No.-_

Another warning message flashed on screen. As soon as I have time, she thought, I'm fixing this idiotic warning system. And renaming the boring robots while I'm at it.

_-On spills of maximum security threat, it is encouraged to evacuate human personnel, to avoid possible danger. Would you like to withdraw your command?-_

_-No.-_

_-Executing commands.-_

She flipped on the intercom just as Malik finished off the last of the KaibaBots. "Malik, I have a warning for you. You'll do well to listen."

He cackled again and twirled the top-heavy rod. "Still attempting to act in control? The only ones with any power in this place are we who bear Millennium Items. And soon enough, I'll be the only one who fits that description."

Krisalyn ignored him. "Unless you want do be electrocuted, you'll stop fighting."

"Electrocuted?" he repeated, a frown twisting his face.

Ha, didn't find that in my mind, did you? She shook her head again, wondering if she actually believed his lies.

She spun and darted from the room, racing for Control Room 4. There would be water coating the floors of hallways 13, 14, and 15, as well as a thick cloud of fog. If Malik tried to fry any more robots, he'd be frying himself as soon as those sparks hit the water. Of course, the CleaningBots wouldn't attack him, just plug up his way. Hopefully more KaibaBots would be deployed before he pushed his way through—in the thick fog, maybe he wouldn't be able to deflect their shots and they could actually take him down.

A computerized voice announced from the intercom, "Resurface complete. Awaiting additional commands."

If luck held, she wouldn't have to give any.

Since she had approached from the direction opposite Malik, she reached hallway 15 first. A glass panel had slid into place to separate the hallway for cleaning, something Krisalyn felt stupid for not expecting. She'd never gone near areas where the CleaningBots were working at normal times, but she still should have known there had to be some method for keeping the fog and water in. She could see a few inches of water splashing gently against the bottom of the glass, and the rest had already clouded over.

"Sorry, Noah," she said aloud, though the boy obviously couldn't hear her. "I'll pay for this later."

She reached down and slipped off one of her black high heels. The glass looked fairly thin, probably made just thick enough for the job, since Gozaburo never liked to go overboard unless it was on something that would boost his power. On top of that, the only support it had was at the edges where it met the walls, floor, and ceiling, which meant the middle should be weak.

Krisalyn gripped the sole of the shoe and slammed the heel into the glass at shoulder-level. It splintered and, when she drove even harder, broke through. Cracks honeycombed from the breached point, and she could already feel hot, humid air leaking out. She pulled her shoe back on, gritted her teeth, and turned so she could use her elbow instead. Pain jolted up her arm as the glass bit into her exposed skin, but it did the job well enough. After the hole got to be about a foot wide, it broke away in large pieces easily, and soon enough, she made an opening large enough to duck through.

The hallway felt like a sauna, the hot air almost too thick to breathe. At her intrusion, a group of the CleaningBots threw a hysterical fit, screeching electronic noises and rushing to the glass panel. While they tried in vain to plug up the shattered glass, her path remained clear. She jogged forward, keeping her bloody, throbbing elbow tucked close against her stomach and running her other hand along the wall. After a few moments, she found the door and felt along the wall for the access panel.

"Enter override password."

"Virtual November." A half-hearted smile tugged at her lips as she realized how sick she was of saying that.

The door slid shut behind her and she rushed forward, praying she wouldn't slip in the water that had spilled through the door when she entered. She skirted around the giant metal globe filling the center of the room—the generator that ran all the electricity on the base—and took the spiral stairs to the second level two at a time. The control panel monitors lit up even before she touched the keys.

"Welcome to the Kaiba Satellite System. Would you like text or voice interaction?" an overly happy electronic voice said.

"Text," she said. The delightful picture of an orbiting satellite loaded with deadly missiles changed to a command box and Krisalyn set to work at record speed. All she had to do was connect to her personal server and she could transfer the program from there. It wouldn't take more than a few minutes.

Hopefully she had that long.

* * *

Noah tried to decide what to make of the boy before him. He felt infuriated at Krisalyn for sure—he had specifically ordered her to keep Mokuba outside the virtual world until he said otherwise. He certainly didn't want to have to deal with his younger step-brother now.

"Mokuba!" Seto shouted. "Are you alright?"

At his voice, Mokuba spun around, his expression overjoyed. "Seto!"

"What emergency?" Noah snapped, scowling at both of them.

Mokuba turned to face him once more. "Malik found out about the missiles and he's planning to aim them here. We have to evacuate!"

Noah almost scoffed. First off, who was Malik? Next, in what world would it make sense for him to aim them at the base he himself was on? The story couldn't be more obviously contrived—though it _was_ interesting that Mokuba knew about the satellite. A whisper of disbelief crossed Noah's mind. Had Krisalyn . . . ?

"Missiles?" Seto repeated, frowning.

"Years ago, my father put a satellite equipped with several missiles into orbit, for a rainy day," Noah said. What will you make of that, dear Seto?

"_What?"_

Noah gave him no response, instead asking Mokuba, "What's Krisalyn doing?"

Mokuba bit his lip. "She went to stop him, but—"

Noah waved a hand. "Then she can handle it. I have a duel to win."

And later, she and I are going to exchange words.

"Whoa, hold it, punk!" Joey shouted. "Mokuba says there's some kinda missiles aimed ta blow us ta smithereens and you're just gonna keep duelin'?"

"Unless you can think of something more important I should be doing," Noah said, smiling sweetly through a dark expression.

"How about gettin' us outta here?"

Noah chuckled without humor. He slapped a hand down on Mokuba's shoulder. "Come now, do you honestly think I'm dumb enough to fall for a lie Mokuba made up to trick me into releasing you?"

Before anyone could respond, Mokuba held up a hand. He stared Noah down evenly as he said, "I'm not lying, Noah. Krisalyn said usually she's the only one who can release people from the virtual world, but the system's on lockdown now, so you can let us out through the emergency exit. Her override password is Virtual November."

Noah's eyes flashed just a bit in surprise. This brat knew way too much for comfort. Krisalyn couldn't possibly have told him all that unless the emergency was real, could she?

"Please, Noah. We're all in danger—Krisalyn might not be able to stop him."

Noah remained silent for a moment before saying, "Who's Malik?"

Mokuba frowned, as if that was the last question he expected. "He's one of the duelists in Seto's tournament, and he's insane."

Marik Ishtar. Maybe his name was pronounced weird.

Okay, Noah thought, keeping his face blank while his mind raced. Let's say this 'Malik' really is insane, possibly suicidal, and does want to attack the base. What do I do?

A cold fear gripped his stomach at the same time hot resentment seared his heart. Why should he let everyone else escape if he would be trapped in the virtual world? Why should they all be allowed to live while he died because of one of their insane companions? Hadn't he suffered enough alone? After six long years of an existence worse than death, he was on the verge of escape. He would finally be able achieve his dreams, interact with people, live in a world where everything didn't just bend to his will and he would have the chance to struggle and fight like everyone else. He was supposed to just let that go and tell everyone to leave?

He felt sick. What would his father do? Well, that was a no-brainer. Gozaburo Kaiba would never let someone else go while he took the fall for something.

But uncertainty hung heavy in Noah's mind. Was that right?

He gritted his teeth. Ridiculous! Of course it was! The only way to get ahead in life was to put yourself first—his father had drilled that into him his entire life.

Of course, Father doesn't care about you, whispered a small voice in his mind. So why should you listen to him?

He shoved the thought aside. When he beat Seto, his father would care about him. He would see how powerful Noah really was, and that he had always deserved trust. Love.

This duel meant everything. He couldn't stop, no matter what. Besides, he thought, latching onto an idea with blind certainty, Krisalyn can take care of the system outside. She won't let any intruder touch the satellite system.

Noah's eyes hardened, as did his voice. "No one's going anywhere. We're finishing this."

Several voices shouted his name; Mokuba looked stunned.

"Look, Noah," Seto said, his face unreadable. "You're only a few seconds away from losing this duel, so why don't you spare yourself the humiliation and just release everyone now?"

"Noah, think about what you're doing," Mokuba pleaded quietly. He looked on the verge of tears, which sparked fury inside Noah for a reason he couldn't explain.

"I said, no one's going anywhere," Noah repeated in a slow hiss.

He could hear furious murmurs from the gathered crowd and someone shouted, "Finish him off, Kaiba!"

"With pleasure," Seto growled. "Mokuba, move."

Mokuba held Noah's eyes for a few more seconds, as if begging him to change his mind. Noah glared back, the anger growing, along with a feeling of bitter vindictiveness. Then Mokuba turned to face his brother and started to step forward.

"Oh, no, Mokuba," Noah purred, making the boy hesitate. "I think you should stay right there."

His fingers twitched at his side and the rock beneath Mokuba's feet responded, springing up in snake-like columns to wrap around the boys legs up to his waist. Mokuba let out a startled cry and tried to twist away, but the rock hardened again, trapping him in place.

"Mokuba!" Seto shouted.

"Let him go, Noah!" Another voice, one of the girls'.

"I don't think I will," Noah said. He stepped forward so he stood just behind and to the side of Mokuba. "What's the matter, Seto? Why don't you attack me? Sure, your brother's in the way, but you've never hesitated to inflict pain on Mokuba before."

He saw the muscles along Seto's jaw stretch tight. Fury flashed through his eyes, but also the confirmation that Noah's jibe had hit home.

Mokuba turned his head to meet Noah's eyes again, his expression one of hurt but understanding. Noah leaned back in surprise and suspicion.

"What?" he snapped.

"I know you're scared, Noah," he whispered, quietly enough Noah barely heard him. "We all are. But you don't have to stay here alone. We're brothers—you can come with us."

Stupid, Noah thought as his throat tightened. Leave so he could become a virus lurking in Seto's computer while the thief ran the company that was rightfully Noah's? Not a chance.

"I _will_ be leaving when this is done," he growled, "and maybe I'll use your body instead of Seto's."

"Mokuba has nothing to do with this," Seto snarled across the dueling field. "Release him!"

"Why don't you make me?" Noah taunted. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the strange dragon-turning teen raise a hand. But he'd been keeping an eye on the unfamiliar person and even though he didn't know what to make of his abilities, he still knew to watch out. He crooked his fingers again and trapped not Dante but Yori.

"Better watch out, or your actions might force me to crush your beloved 'Mistress,'" he said. Dante snarled something unintelligible but lowered his hand.

"So, Seto, what will it be?" Noah asked, smirking, his eyes hard.

The hatred in Seto's expression was unmistakable, but he made no move to attack.

Weak, Noah thought. See, Father? I can put myself first over everyone, even so-called family. Seto can't.

"Attack him, Seto," Mokuba said, his voice clear and ringing.

Everyone stared at him, speechless in shock.

"Attack him," the boy repeated.

"I won't let you get hurt, Mokuba," Seto growled.

"I won't," Mokuba said firmly.

Noah scoffed in disbelief. "You think you can bluff your brother into attacking?"

Mokuba shook his head. "If you wanted to use me to get to Seto, you could have separated us at the beginning. You could have had one of the Big Five go after me. You could have tortured me, stolen my body yourself, or kidnapped me. But you always left me alone, and when Gansley kidnapped me, you stopped him and just took me out of the virtual world altogether. I know you won't let me get hurt, Noah, even if Seto's the one attacking."

Noah stepped back in shock, then caught himself and forced his face to go blank. It wasn't like he defended Mokuba! He didn't care about the kid at all; Mokuba meant nothing next to Seto.

A corner of his mind whispered, Isn't that why he _does_ catch your attention? Noah could remember the visits of his father just after he adopted the two brothers. He discussed everything about Seto, but if Noah wouldn't have already known Mokuba existed, he never would have guessed. His father never said a word about the younger boy.

Even though Noah and Seto were the ones locked in a rivalry, Noah knew deep down that they really had nothing in common. As much as Gozaburo hated Seto's defiance, he respected the teen. His intelligence. His business skills. He pushed Seto beyond his limits because he both wanted to see how far Seto could go, and he wanted to see him fail because he was the only real threat Gozaburo faced. On the other hand, Noah had been the high hopes that never paid off. His biggest skill had been in violin, rather than business. Even though he loved learning, it came slowly, and he preferred to put his creativity into games of the imagination rather than weapon designs. He was of no threat, and therefore no interest, to his father.

Had he seen a bit of himself in Mokuba? The boy disappeared through the cracks—of as little interest to Gozaburo as Noah. He didn't rise above as a genius, didn't establish himself as superior at anything. Had Noah really been trying to protect the boy without realizing?

Was it because no one had ever been there to protect _him_?

He realized that Mokuba must have told Seto to attack again because the teen snapped, "I'm not putting my trust in Noah not to let you get hurt."

"Noah's the one holdin' ya there in the first place!" Joey agreed.

Mokuba remained stubborn. "I'm asking you to trust _me."_

Kaiba hesitated, his eyes still fixed with hatred on Noah.

"Trust me, Seto. Attack."

After a long pause, Kaiba snarled something through clenched teeth, and his dragon reared up in response. Tendrils of lightning crackled around its mouth, and it let out a roar before shooting a burst of blinding gold electricity at the two boys.

Noah wanted to prove them all wrong. He wanted to shield himself and let Mokuba take the entire hit. He wanted Seto to break from the guilt of hurting his little brother again.

Instead, he stepped to the side and raised an invisible shield around Mokuba. The attack scraped along seemingly thin air, dodging around Mokuba to hit Noah square in the chest. The ball of light exploded into a hundred small lightning bolts, crackling and snapping around his arms, twisting in jagged shapes around his torso. He imagined it would have been agonizing in real life. But even in a virtual world where it would have been painful for the others, Noah didn't feel a thing. It had been years since his mind had been linked to a body with nerves that understood pain.

Physical pain, at least. His heart still understood things as well as ever, something that Noah truly, deeply loathed at the moment.

The last bits of electricity dissipated in silence. While the others stared at him in whatever emotion, Mokuba turned to give him a grin. Noah clenched a fist and the rock bindings around the boy shattered.

"Get away," he growled.

Mokuba's face fell, his eyes confused. "Noah?"

"All I proved was that I can take my own hits, just like I always have," Noah said. "This duel is still on, I'm still winning, and I'm still taking back what's mine."

"Sorry to say this, Noah, but that attack put your lifepoints at zero," Seto said. His expression was twisted in a sneer, but his voice lacked the normal hard edge. The light in his eyes seemed almost unnerved.

Noah narrowed his eyes. Don't you dare go soft on me, Seto. Don't you dare give yourself an excuse when you lose to say, "I didn't want to go all out on him because he's just a spoiled kid who can't even make good on his threats."

Noah pointed straight up. "When you attacked, I converted my deck master into its advanced form. Meet Shinato—King of a Higher Plane."

The ark had vanished and a winged figure floated in its place, its fake smile fixed down on Noah's opponent.

"When Shinato takes his ark's place, all the monsters in the ark get sacrificed to boost my life points. Since there were twelve monsters, and I get 500 points for each one, that makes my life points 5300 after your attack."

Seto grimaced, remaining silent.

I've waited far too long for this to lose or back away, Noah thought. He slid a card from his deck, eyes still fixed on Seto. But in the back of his mind, all he could think about was how his father had seen Seto attack his own brother while Noah spared him. He knew it wouldn't matter that Seto hadn't wanted to attack or that Noah had wanted to shield himself. Gozaburo cared about actions, not intentions.

Icy fear gnawed away at Noah's insides. Even after everything he did, even if he stood victorious in the end, would his father still choose Seto?

* * *

_Authoress's Note: For any of you (probably no one) curious about the title The Element of Madness and its mysterious origins, feel free to ask in a review and I will grace you with the full response. For anyone not curious, please leave a review anyway and tell me what you're thinking of the story. Have I done anything particularly awesome? Are you barely choking it down just because you hope it'll get better in the future? I feel completely blind on this side of the story. The power to read minds should come with being a writer, lol. Please tell me your thoughts!_


	34. Chapter 33: Raw

_Chapter 33: Raw_**  
**

After Noah protected and then chased away Mokuba, the dueling field fell completely silent except for the announcements required by game rules. The duelists had abandoned all taunts and banter, their only words being the sharp account of each move they made. None of the observers uttered a word, only watching as almost-tangible emotions radiated from the two fighting teens, crashing together on the playing field as readily as the duel monsters themselves.

Yori—freed from her rock bindings at the same moment as Mokuba—rubbed her arms against a chill even she didn't find comfortable. The air felt charged with a wild recklessness that grew with each passing turn.

Kaiba, who normally hid his emotions well, seemed strangely readable. Yori figured that was mostly to blame from the fact that he seemed uncertain about what to feel at all, so concealing it hadn't crossed his mind. While he still threw himself into the battle, he seemed unnerved, and his expression flickered from anger to fierce determination to a grim doubt.

The duel seemed to waver along with him, one moment in his favor, and the other balanced precariously on the edge of his defeat. Yori bit down on her tongue, trying to hide the nervousness she felt just watching. They had all been certain of who Noah was before the duel—the indisputable villain, the barrier between them and the real world. When he revealed his relation to Kaiba, the news only gave his attacks an even harsher appearance. But, after thinking about it, Yori realized that having his motives revealed actually cast everything into doubt. The Big Five had said they became trapped in the virtual world after losing their bodies; since Noah obviously had no escape of his own, he had to be missing a body as well. But he was a _kid!_Yori couldn't peg him as more than thirteen or fourteen at most, which had at first made him nothing more than a spoiled brat, but now made him a victim. He'd died that young? No wonder he was out for blood—as the son of a billionaire, he'd had a dazzling future ahead of him, and, even though it wasn't Kaiba's fault, Noah had to blame the teen for claiming everything Noah still saw as his.

A thought suddenly struck her and she winced. Noah didn't just exist in the virtual world like the Big Five; he _controlled _it. And his control was casual and precise enough to betray an awful lot of practice time. How long had Noah been trapped?

Yori turned her eyes to the young boy. The shorts he wore betrayed a kid's taste, but the long-sleeved shirt with its crisp cuffs and high collar stood in stark contrast. His hair, straight and well-groomed enough to rival Kaiba's, screamed for attention with its rebellious green shade. His expression curled in a sneer worthy of any teenager taking on the world, but his eyes looked dark and shadowed, unreadable. Everything about the kid seemed at war with himself, like he fought a silent battle between . . . what? Who he was and who he wanted to be? Who he wanted to be and who he felt obligated to be? Yori didn't know. To be honest, she couldn't be sure about anything concerning Noah, and it scared her.

Because she knew from experience that it was a hundred times harder to beat an enemy you couldn't understand.

* * *

Krisalyn knew she'd run out of time even before the siren on the door went off. She heard his cackle through solid steel before she heard the shrieking hiss as he blasted his way in. No scream meant that he had only fried the door and none of the electrical work beside it. Pity.

Even as she had the dry-humored thought, her nerves turned to ice. Her fingers trembled, fumbling over a few keys and slowing her down when she couldn't afford it.

Almost there, she growled silently. You are _not_ allowed to quit now!

"I hear you, little mouse," Malik called, sending chills up her spine. "Come to face me again? One near-death experience wasn't sufficient for you?"

Ignore him! She found the right program and began the download, willing the percentage counter to hurry.

Malik cackled. "I was considering banishing your mind to the Shadow Realm for eternity, but now I think I'll just cut you apart—_slowly_. It's been a long time since I've tasted blood."

_Ignore him!_ Krisalyn took a shuddering breath, her eyes never leaving the download window. 82%. 89%. 95%.

"Have you ever stabbed a beating heart? The body spasms quite delightfully!"

100%! Thank heaven for cutting-edge technology! Krisalyn's hands hit the keyboard again and she booted the program, applying it as a shield in front of the satellite system.

Slow footsteps rang out on the metal stairs behind her.

"Perhaps you would like your tongue sliced out first, since you enjoy the silence so much? Or should I gouge out your eyes and watch you writhe?"

A blinking cursor appeared in a new text box, below the words _-Enter desired password.-_

Krisalyn had no time for creativity—she scraped her thumb across the bottom row of keys.

_-Retype password for confirmation.-_

For heaven's sake! She repeated the process and hit enter, her skin chalk-white, her ears tormenting her with each metal echo of Malik's steps.

_-Password applied.-_

The screens all turned black, and then the center one lit up with a plain gray text box:

_-Enter Password: _-_

Krisalyn whirled around to find Malik just behind her, insanity in his eyes and bloodlust in his grin. She tried to dart to the side, but he caught her wrist in a bone-crushing grip.

"Why the rush?" he hissed, his tongue lolling out of his mouth like a rabid dog's. "Didn't you come to play?"

He dug his nails into the underside of her wrist and raked them back, tearing the soft skin. Krisalyn bit back a gasp and tried to wrench away, but his hand held firm.

"I do so like a fighting spirit, but shall we tone it down?" he purred. He jerked her arm to the side, pulling her off her feet. Her head cracked against the metal railing at the edge of the balcony, blinding her for a moment. She barely felt herself hit the metal floor. Spikes of sickening pain flared in her nerves with each heartbeat and she gasped for breath.

"That's better," she heard Malik say. His voice sounded muffled, like they were both underwater. Maybe that was why breathing was so hard.

Krisalyn tried to push herself up, but her limbs felt disconnected. She couldn't quite focus enough to get them to respond the way she wanted. A wave of nausea rose in her throat and she barely stopped herself from gagging. On second thought, lying on the floor seemed to be a good option.

She heard an inhuman snarl. "Password? What is this?"

Something tugged at the back of Krisalyn's mind, something behind the pain. She needed to . . . what? She bit back another wave of nausea and tried to push the feeling away, focusing only on her breathing, but it persisted.

"Trying to change the rules of the game, are we?" Malik demanded. Krisalyn heard footsteps and then a hand twisted itself into her loose hair, dragging her to her feet regardless of her pained cry.

She grabbed at his arm, trying to take the pressure off her head. He released her hair and grabbed her wounded elbow instead, forcing the shards of glass deeper into her torn skin.

"Shall I go easy on you and steal the password from your mind?" Malik's grip tightened; blood dripped from Krisalyn's pale skin to the cold metal floor, hazy in her vision. "Or shall I pry the secret out with tortured screams?"

The fog around Krisalyn's mind began to clear—the pain in her elbow distracting from her skull. She had to get away.

How?

"I . . ." Her voice came out hoarse, but it effectively stopped Malik from acting for a moment as he cocked his head to the side, his lips twisting in a biting grin.

"That's right, little mouse. Beg for mercy. It makes the game ever so satisfying."

Think! _Think!_ She swallowed, her mind struggling for ideas past the pain.

"I'll . . ."

His eyes practically glowed with madness and he cackled. "You'll do anything? Is that it?"

Duh, Kris, what's the easiest way to get a guy to let go? She shifted her weight just a bit, praying he didn't notice.

"I'll . . . do . . ."

As he leaned in, she threw her weight forward, ramming the heel of one shoe on his foot. He reared back and she kicked up with the other leg, right between both of his. A howl of pain tore itself from his lips and he released her arm. She stumbled back, caught herself, and ran the opposite direction from Malik. A heartbeat of pain throbbed in her skull and elbow; she did her best to ignore them.

The balcony was completely open, only about ten feet wide and with nowhere to hide. A wall of metal encased her to the right, and a thin railing lined the balcony's edge to her left. There was only one staircase down—the one by Malik.

Malik snarled behind her and the metal floor clanged as he gave chase. For a moment, Krisalyn hoped she could get away with a game of cat and mouse—running fast enough that she made the full circle back to the staircase before Malik did. But she could hear how his footsteps came faster than hers, could practically feel the fury radiating off his skin. She was trembling and in pain; this was a race she couldn't win.

So she fell back on years of gymnastics practice and prayed Malik wouldn't turn out to be secretly acrobatic. She threw herself to the side and gripped the railing with both hands.

This was so suicidal.

She kicked off the floor, swinging herself fully over the railing. Her weakened elbow shuddered and flashes of pain shot through her arm at the weight, but she made the full arc. Malik gave a shout, but before he could grab her—or before she could slam into the balcony's edge—Krisalyn released her grip.

The giant metal orb encasing the base's generator loomed beneath Krisalyn. She barely had time to twist her legs out of the way before she slammed into the riveted surface. Her breath expelled in a gasp at a flash of sharp heat from her shoulder and hip. More pain—just what she needed.

The slick, uneven metal slipped away quickly beneath her, bringing her closer to a dangerous, long fall. A raised section of metal, thicker than most, caught the corner of her vision. Krisalyn twisted onto her stomach and lunged for it. Her fingers closed over it in an unstable grip, jerking her to a stop. She'd forgotten about her elbow though and it screamed at the weight; the strength in her right hand failed. Her left couldn't handle it alone and she dropped from the short-lived sanctuary with a cry.

The floor rushed to meet her before she could think of another desperate act. As she crashed into it feet-first, her right ankle twisted to the side, sending her down hard on her back. Her wounded elbow scraped across the ground—white-hot pain seared her nerves.

Above her, Malik laughed.

"Nice try, little mouse, but the chase ends here."

* * *

Noah almost didn't notice when the duel dissolved into silence because, for him, it never did. His heartbeat thudded in his ears, a constant, steady executioner's drum, beating him closer to the end with each second.

Each time he backed Seto into a corner, the thief slipped from his grasp. Seto never ran out of tricks and aces and just one more lucky draw. In spite of his best desperate efforts, Noah felt defeat looming before him like the gallows, and the thought flooded his soul with fear. He had never imagined defeat, never even contemplated the possibility.

Was his best really not good enough? Even if he tried his hardest, gave everything he had, could he really never match up to Seto?

A direct attack slammed into his chest, making him stumble for the first time. One knee hit the coarse dirt and he stared out at the playing field in a haze. Seto always had one more attack ready and waiting to chip away at Noah's lifepoints. He disabled traps, bypassed magic barriers, countered Shinato's special ability of destroying defensive monsters—it was like the game itself catered to his every need.

Noah's eyes strayed to his lifepoint counter and a cold sweat broke out on his palms. Fifty points left. The only barrier between Noah and defeat. His throat turned paper-dry and his eyes burned. He couldn't even tell for sure if the unshed tears were brought on by anger, frustration, fear, or something else entirely.

He was losing it. Losing the duel, losing his future, losing his mind.

Noise had begun to pick up in the duel again. Some of the mindless observers cheered encouragement for Seto, but Seto gave no sign he even heard them. His eyes bored into Noah until the boy looked up to meet them. Noah's breath hissed out between his teeth as he held the silent staring contest. Though the tears continued to burn, he refused to allow a single one to fall. He would never give Seto the pleasure of seeing him break down. His lips curled in a snarl, a mask for the terror that chewed him apart inside.

Finally, Seto slid the single card in his hand into a slot on the duel disk where it appeared face-down on the playing field.

"It's over, Noah," he said. "This is your last turn."

Noah shoved himself to his feet, the cheers for Seto burning in his ears along with the teen's declaration. If everything ended here, where would that leave him? Trapped in a virtual nightmare forever? Dead a second time before he ever got the chance to live?

No, it wasn't over. This was his new beginning, and not even Seto would take that from him, not this time.

Noah knew the cards in his hand couldn't bring down Seto, but he had one last option. One that his mind rebelled against even as it offered the suggestion. He'd never cheated on anything in his life before, not even when his father drilled into him the lesson that a little unfair dealing could go a long way in success.

Perhaps he still wouldn't have to; he had one card left to draw, after all. He clung to a desperate hope that he could still claim his future on his own terms, and slid the top card from his deck.

"This _is _my last turn, Seto," he murmured, feeling a fire and ice battle in his chest that raised goosebumps on his skin. "One way or another, our fight ends here."

He brought his eyes to meet the card in his hand and the ice won, frosting over his heart and conscience. When he won the duel, he would please his father, and his father believed in underhanded moves if the benefits outweighed the price. So Noah shoved himself aside and allowed the ice to seep through his veins, giving him a withdrawn numbness from his own actions as the virtual card in his hand flickered, changing its identity in a split second.

"This is it, Seto," he snapped, his voice as cold as he felt inside. "Kaiba Corp has always been mine, and always will be. I play Shattered Judgment, which adds up every point of damage you've inflicted to me over the past three turns and carves it directly from your lifepoints."

A collective gasp issued from the spectators, but Seto raised a hand, the face-down card on his side of the field revealing itself to be a Reverse Magic card.

Before he could say a word, Noah shouted, "Not this time, Seto—Shattered Judgment is immune to magic and trap card effects. Nothing can save you from judgment!"

Seto's eyes widened—from shock or fear, Noah couldn't tell—and a blast from Noah's card pierced his chest in the form of hundreds of white needle-points of light. He crashed to his knees with a cry of pain, Mokuba instantly at his side. Dead silence hung like a fog over the dueling field as his lifepoints scrolled down to zero and both duel disks evaporated.

Despite the weight on his mind, Noah found his breath coming faster and faster, adrenaline flooding his system. He could almost feel his future change from an aching dream to a solid reality, settled within his empty hands.

"Did you see that, Father?" he crowed to the open sky, throwing his arms out as if to embrace all the possibilities he had just unlocked. "I won! I won against Seto! I told you I could do it!"

"How disappointing," a familiar voice growled.

Noah slowly lowered his arms, the elation draining from him. He stared wide-eyed at his father as the man's face appeared in the clouds, a giant looming over the tiny figures below. The sky around him contorted, the blue twisting and darkening to a churning purple and black.

"What do you mean?" Noah breathed, afraid of the answer.

"Gozaburo," Seto growled from across the field, his tone a mixture of hatred and accusation. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"It appears you've lost all your nerve and intelligence, Seto, now that you're no longer under my guidance," the man snapped, his face twisting in a sneer.

A wave of nausea rose within Noah. Even now, after he had finally won, after he had proven himself . . . even now, his father had eyes only for Seto.

"How dare you!" Mokuba shouted, stepping in front of his brother, his eyes blazing at the sky. "Seto's ten times better than you'll ever be—especially with you gone!"

"You keep your mouth shut!" Gozaburo snarled. "I want your opinions even less than my worthless son's!"

Noah staggered back a step, as if the insult had been a physical blow. He wished it would have been—then at least he wouldn't have felt the pain.

"I see you haven't changed a bit over the years," Seto said, his voice soft and deadly. He pushed himself to his feet and stepped between Gozaburo and Mokuba, one hand on the small boy's shoulder.

"Who _is_ this freak, rich boy?" one of the spectators snarled. (Noah didn't care enough to turn and see who.)

"Whoever he is, he has the sparkling personality of a dead rat," another added.

"Gozaburo Kaiba, right Kai? I recognize the scum from that memory glimpse. Nice to see he has as much consideration for his real son as he does for his adopted ones."

"Yeah," Seto agreed darkly. "I thought even a snake would have _some _regard for his own flesh and blood. I should have known better."

"Which of us is the snake, Seto?" Gozaburo narrowed his eyes. "I've never stolen a company or driven a man to suicide."

A shocked silence passed over everyone, broken by Seto.

"I never stole anything from you, Gozaburo—I bought the company legally," he growled. "And I've _never _driven anyone to suicide."

Noah felt horror creep through his senses. His father couldn't mean . . .

"Father," he whispered. He swallowed and forced his voice to be louder, though he hunched his shoulders like a child waiting to be beaten. "You said . . . you said you still had your body outside. You said you were only in the virtual world temporarily, until I beat Seto and used his body to escape. You said we could live together again in the real world while I ran Kaiba Corp."

"And you believed me, just like the fool you are." His father snorted. "After Seto stole my company, I was disgraced, but I'm not that easily beaten. I came up with a plan to get my company back, set things up, uploaded my mind to the virtual world, and disposed of my real body, since I no longer need it."

Noah's eyes burned again and the horror increased. Without thinking, he cried, "How could you? How could you just waste your life like that? How?"

For so many years, Noah had struggled on, surviving on nothing more than the dream that someday he could have a second chance. Now, he felt sick. His father had thrown away what Noah longed for so much without a second thought. And he had _lied._All the months of elation Noah had felt, thinking that his father had returned for him, prepared to give him the opportunity to prove himself . . . the memory turned to a bitter acid on his tongue. The only thing his father wanted him for was to use as a pawn in his chess match with the world.

"I wouldn't expect a useless brat like you to understand," his father said, the contempt in his voice casual and effortless, straight from the black heart.

Several furious shouts went up, but Noah barely heard. Tears finally dripped from the boy's eyes, and he hated himself for it, but he couldn't hold them back. They scorched tracks down his skin, taking with them the lie that had kept him fighting for so long. The lie that his father would see his worth, would love and accept him, if he only proved he could be whoever his father wanted him to be.

"I don't want to!" he screamed suddenly, the words torn straight from his soul. He scrubbed a hand across his eyes, but the tears flowed harder with each passing second. "I don't want to be your tool anymore, I don't want to be your successor, I don't want to be like you, _I don't want to be your son!"_

The words didn't faze his father a bit. Gozaburo's lips curled in a cruel smile and he said, "Finally, something we agree on."

Noah bit down on his tongue hard enough it would have drawn blood in real life. He wanted to draw blood. He wanted physical pain to take away from the emotional agony. He wanted an escape.

"Why are you here, Gozaburo?" Seto demanded, his voice piercing and sharp as shattered glass.

"I don't feel obligated to answer any questions from someone who's gone soft," Gozaburo said coolly. "But, I will anyway, because I want you to know what's coming long enough to regret everything you did. When I originally adopted you, it was because I saw in you a potential body for Noah. But that plan soon evaporated when you proved far more interesting. You took advantage of my generosity, unfortunately, but, soon enough, you'll be able to make restitution for that fatal mistake. How? Well, I decided the best way to save my company from the havoc you wrecked would be as a young man again with years of a head start in the game. That's why I digitized my mind, and that's why I've come here—to steal your body for myself!"

Gasps and shouts echoed along the ground from everyone. Noah's arms trembled at his sides. His father had never intended for him to get a second chance. He had merely used Noah to draw Mokuba and Seto in, to taunt and torment the victims until Gozaburo decided to end the entertainment and claim a second life for himself, after he had carelessly tossed aside his first one.

Gozaburo channeled his will into the digital environment around them and Noah felt the virtual world—_his_ world—respond. The purple sky drew in on itself, roiling with the emotion, ready to shoot downward and overcome Seto, who had nowhere to run.

Noah's eyes moved to Seto without thought as he felt the world's energy build and tense for that first and final attack. The teen had hunkered down the slightest bit, but he held his ground, shielding his brother, glaring down the figure in the clouds with enough hatred to boil the very air between them.

Noah had never allowed himself to think of Seto as anything other than the villain he had to overcome, the evil standing between Noah and everything he deserved. Now, he thought of someone his age, who had been used and abused by the same true villain, but had risen up against him. Someone who protected the only family he had with everything he had, who took on the world when he was still a child because no one had been there to protect him either.

I really _can't_ measure up to him, Noah thought. And the tears started anew, branding him with the knowledge of everything he wasn't and could never be.

_"This is the end, Seto!"_Gozaburo howled, his voice past the edge of sanity. The sky around him whirled together in a cyclone and then exploded straight down.

Noah screamed—an unintelligible, tortured sound that reverberated with everything he had suffered in the space of just minutes. His world resonated with the plea and shattered Gozaburo's control, blasting apart his attack mere inches from Seto.

_"NOAH!"_Gozaburo rounded on the boy, his face contorted in shock and fury.

_"Stop it!"_ Noah screamed back, his hands clutched over his head as if he could crush the memories that had destroyed his dreams. _"Just STOP IT!"_

His father fell silent for a minute, but his face reddened with each second, betraying the deadly emotions building within him.

"Alright, Noah," he said, his voice low and deceptively calm. "If you've decided to play tough, I guess I'll just get rid of you first."

Noah barely had time to dive aside before the ground he'd been standing on shot up in a row of razor spikes.

"Noah!" he heard Mokuba cry. A moment later, the raven-haired boy stood at his side, dragging him to his feet.

Noah stared in confusion, his breath coming in hiccups from crying. He scrubbed at his eyes enough to see, and then pulled back in shock as he saw tear trails on Mokuba's face as well.

A hand latched around his arm and jerked him backward just as the ground exploded again. Noah looked up and his heart stumbled in its rhythm as his eyes met Seto's.

"W-Why are you—" was all he managed to get out before Seto yanked both he and Mokuba to the side, away from another attack.

"Run, evil one!" a voice shouted. "Keep moving!"

"I don't need a fleabag to tell me common sense!" Seto barked. Despite the sharp words, his face was pale. He jerked them away as the ground shot up once more.

Gozaburo suddenly let out a howl. Noah twisted his head enough to be able to see his father scrubbing a hand furiously over his eyes. Even as the man did, a figure swooped in front of him and flipped around, allowing Noah enough of a glimpse to tell it was a human with wings before Dante shot a stream of fire at Gozaburo's eyes again.

Noah's hands curled into fists, his nails biting into the soft skin of his palms without pain.

"Why?" he whispered. He turned bewildered, accusing eyes on Seto and Mokuba. "Why are you helping me?"

"You're our brother, Noah," Mokuba replied without hesitation. "Even if we've never had the chance to get to know each other, you're still our brother!"

Noah stared at the boy, his throat tightening to the point he couldn't breathe. _You're our brother. . . ._

He shoved away from Seto, stumbling a bit but catching himself before he fell. He slashed a hand through the air with more force than usual, but it still did the job of opening a portal, which Seto and Mokuba disappeared through with startled cries.

Noah took a moment to scrub at his eyes again and gather his nerves. He'd dragged everyone into this mess and it might be too late, but he could do everything in his power to get them back out.

And . . . maybe . . . if things worked out . . . he might get a chance to get to know his step-brothers for real instead of just his father's painted images of them.

* * *

_Authoress's Note: This is my second favorite chapter I've ever written, beaten only by chapter 29 about Seto's past. I just adore the Kaiba siblings. I'm gonna go melt into a happy puddle now. . . . Please let me know what you think._


	35. Chapter 34: If You Gaze into the Abyss

_Chapter 34: If You Gaze for Long into the Abyss_

The girl below Malik groaned and, before she could get her bearings, Malik brought the rod to bear, its golden glow flooding over the metal room. The girl's eyes glazed over and her mind opened for him to search. As a recent memory, he found the password immediately.

"Quite the creative one, aren't you?" he drawled.

He turned back to the computer screen, licked a thumb, and dragged it over the bottom row of keys. The missile program opened as easily as her mind; Malik cackled. So much chaos possible with just a few buttons—humans were such delightful fools!

"Welcome to the Kaiba Satellite System. Would you like text or voice interaction?" an electronic voice chirped.

"Voice, voice," Malik murmured in response. His fingers drummed an anticipating rhythm on the metal keyboard frame. What could he destroy? How many worthless lives could he crush? Would the screen show him the carnage of blood and bodies he would cause? He cackled again at the thought.

The screen dissolved into several pictures of the satellite and the electronic voice returned. "The Kaiba Satellite houses five K-APT 400 missiles. How many will be launched?"

Malik clapped his hands in delight, spinning the rod between his palms. "All of them!"

"Preparing all missiles for launch sequence. Please enter the targeting coordinates."

"What?" Malik leaned back in shock as the screen changed to show a mess of red lines over a black background. "What is this nonsense?"

He reached down and punched a few keys, to which the computer beeped.

"Please enter the targeting coordinates."

He growled, hefted the rod in one hand, and turned back to the railing. He'd have to dig through the mouse's mind one more time. Maybe someday he could hunt down the person responsible for setting up the missile system—if he cut off their ears and a few fingers, perhaps next time they wouldn't make the path to chaos so complicated.

In the meantime, he wanted to get the missiles going. After the show, he could take his time with the victim he already had before hunting down a new one. He could already imagine the warmth of her gorgeous crimson blood flowing through his fingers and hear her agonized, desperate screams in his mind. A shudder of pleasure raised goosebumps on his skin at the thought.

He leaned over the railing, and his imagination lurched to a halt. He whipped his gaze to the Millennium Rod and a strangled sound escaped his throat. The rod's eye had ceased to glow—his excitement at the missiles had distracted him from controlling his victim.

The girl had vanished.

* * *

"Dante!" Yori cried as the Ka dove into the sky, headed for Gozaburo.

"Forget it, Yor'!" Joey grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back. "Whatever that creature guy is, he can take care of himself!"

The ground next to them exploded in another set of the deadly spikes, making everyone stumble back.

"I vote we get out of this family feud _now,"_ Duke said. Out of the corner of her eye, Yori saw him pull Serenity close, away from the spikes.

"Oh man, I second that motion," Téa said, her voice trembling.

Gozaburo howled and the ground right in front of Yori rumbled. She barely had time to glance down before it shattered, falling away into nothingness. Yami grabbed her hand and he and Joey yanked her back before she could fall. She clung to his hand in a knuckle-white grip, her heart hammering on her ribs.

"Everyone, back, now!" she shouted. Her voice cracked in fear and she swallowed hard, kicking herself mentally. She couldn't lose control just because she didn't understand the situation. She had to treat it like any other gang fight where the enemy was too powerful. First move was to try running.

She spun on a heel and darted away from the giant figure in the sky, Yami at her side. The others followed as another scream from Gozaburo rent the air.

Then they skidded to a halt as they all spotted a familiar, small figure rushing toward them.

"Keep moving!" Noah shouted, passing straight through the center of their group. "Get to the city—to the arcade!"

"City?" Joey repeated. "Oi! Noah! What—"

Before he could finish, the ground opened beneath them and Yori had the now-familiar sensation of falling through a portal.

* * *

Krisalyn breathed slowly through her mouth, struggling to keep silent and undetected. A low ringing sound echoed in her inner ears and her head throbbed. She pressed herself deeper into the shadows below the stairs, fear almost a solid taste in her throat. She could only guess by Malik's hissing snarl that he had discovered her disappearance and she needed to act fast.

The only question was, what could she do?

A hundred possibilities flashed through her mind—most of them revolving around _run—_and she shook her head hard to clear them out. Her first priority was protecting everyone on the base, and that meant she either had to incapacitate Malik or stop the missile system. The problem was that the missiles had already been engaged, and Gozaburo's system had no back button. She needed to key in a safe target before the computer started making suggestions. Because as soon as it did, all Malik had to do was say "yes," and the launch would continue. She didn't know which suggestions the computer would make, but she doubted any of them would be isolated, safe explosion sites.

"Where did you scurry off to, little mouse?" Malik called, an edge in his voice.

Krisalyn took a deep breath and began inching along the wall. She didn't know what she would do yet, but she hoped that if she could just get herself to keep moving and not freeze up in fear, it would be a start.

"There is no escape—show yourself now and perhaps I won't torture you as long."

You know, I didn't sign up for this, Krisalyn thought. She swallowed hard, wiping her sweaty palms on her designer black slacks. Hacking, monitoring a computer network, being a go-fer, being admittedly a slave, revenge—all that had been in the job description given to her brother and, in turn, to her. None of it included being hunted by a homicidal psychopath. Just her luck.

_I'm falling apart—_

Krisalyn's heart lurched to a stop in her chest as her phone went off. She fumbled in her pocket for the wretched device and jammed her finger on the first button she felt, but she knew it was too late.

Above her, Malik cackled. "I hear you."

His feet hit the stairs, clanging with each rapid step. Absolute terror rooted Krisalyn in place.

_Run, moron!_ her mind screamed. She reached a trembling hand out to the wall and wrenched herself forward, spurring her legs into motion. The pounding on the stairs paused, then an extra loud clang met her ears—Malik must have jumped the last few steps. She darted to the other side of the generator, her mouth dry and her heartbeat a roar in her inner ears. She had to think of something _now._

A row of large switches dominated the curved wall before her and she had a sudden suicidal idea.

"Here, girly, girly," Malik called, "make another sound for me. It's not a proper game if you don't play."

Krisalyn took two deep breaths that did nothing to calm her nerves. Then she threw herself across the open space and grabbed the large red handle of the second switch, yanking down. It thudded into place in the "off" position, the noise echoed by an electric hum from the generator. Malik responded to the sound with a delighted shriek and his footsteps spurred into action again.

Then every light in the room turned off, plunging both of its occupants into darkness.

* * *

Gozaburo screamed in rage and reared back from the nuisance blocking his sight. He didn't know how the fire ant had made its way into his world, but he would gladly crush it in a moment.

He relinquished his partial-form in favor of his true self, appearing on the ground far beneath the winged human, and therefore out of reach.

As an added bonus, he found that this action brought him face to face with his worthless son. The boy faced him with a straight back, head held high with false confidence. Gozaburo sneered at the effort—anyone could see the boy's thin arms and legs trembling in weakness.

Noah raised a hand and flicked his fingers. The sky tensed and responded, a shock wave of energy rippling through the air that Gozaburo recognized as a portal opening. He sneered.

"You should know better than to try escaping, Noah." Even as he said the words, Gozaburo bit back a frown. Why open a portal in the air? And, for that matter . . . Gozaburo glanced around, suddenly remembering that he had felt that same shock wave twice within the last few minutes.

"I do," Noah said. His voice cracked pitifully and Gozaburo brought his eyes back to the boy in disgust. To think that such a weak thing was related to him. To think that he had ever assumed he could crush the weakness out. Well, now he knew better.

"I've wasted more than enough time on you," he snarled. "Say goodbye, Noah."

He jerked a hand up and the ground rose in response, jagged spikes aimed for Noah's chest. Even with a virtual body, the mind still held on to old beliefs—if "killed" in the virtual world, Noah's mind would go into shock and shut down, killing the boy for real. Like dying in a dream with no way to wake up.

Noah jumped back a step, raising his arms defensively. The ground at his feet reared up to swallow Gozaburo's attack before smoothing out again in an instant. Gozaburo's eyes widened. Why didn't his attacks overwhelm his pathetic son's?

Noah stepped forward. A tear dripped down his cheek, but he only held his head higher in response.

"I _am_ saying goodbye," he whispered. The words were quiet enough Gozaburo barely heard them, and yet at the same time, they seemed to pierce the air. "Goodbye to the old me."

What kind of sentimental garbage was that?

"Stalling won't work," Gozaburo growled.

I wasn't expecting resistance on those attacks, he thought. That's why he was able to overcome them. Well, not this time.

He clenched both fists and the earth groaned, an earthquake rumbling to life beneath the surface. Loose dirt shook itself into dust that obscured the ground in a thick haze. The plants quaked violently, making the land around them a churning mass of green. Gozaburo relegated the earthquake to the land behind Noah, keeping the ground he stood on firm and solid. The sharp contrast finally tore the earth in two, opening a chasm directly below Noah.

As the boy fell out of sight, a smirk crossed Gozaburo's face and he jerked his hands together, crushing the two sides of the chasm together as well and ending the earthquake.

"Well, so much for that problem," he grunted to himself.

A familiar, soft voice behind him spoke at the same time. "Goodbye to false dreams."

Gozaburo whirled around in shock. "How did you—?"

His voice caught in his throat. Noah stood on a cleared patch of ground, tendrils of dust curling around his limbs in a hazy cloud. As Gozaburo watched, his son's clothes shimmered, changing from a sensible, straight-pressed style to ragged jean shorts and a plain white t-shirt. Black color seeped like ink from the roots of his hair to the tips. Light reflected on tears in his eyes, but he no longer shed any.

"Goodbye to illusions and lies," he whispered.

Gozaburo shook himself out of his useless stupor. So the boy had lost his mind—that was no concern of his. It should only make him easier to get rid of.

So why hadn't he died already?

His expression twisted in rage, Gozaburo threw one hand forward. A giant disc of rock tore itself free of the ground and raced to crush Noah. Instead of raising a hand or diving to the side, the boy closed his eyes.

Gozaburo cursed. If Noah didn't see the rock fall, the attack was useless.

Not that it mattered anyway because as the rock dropped, Noah vanished. A strangled sound issued from Gozaburo's throat and he stumbled back a step, looking around wildly.

He needn't have bothered—Noah appeared right in front of him, his green eyes heavy with sorrow but blazing with an inner fire Gozaburo had never seen.

"Goodbye to _you."_

* * *

_Authoress's Note: This chapter title also has a fun explanation, for anyone interested. So, in the time since you last heard from me, I have moved to another state. Ha ha! My first time moving in my entire life—not gonna lie, it's weird. The next two weeks are gonna be chaotic because I have a camping trip and a concert and a wedding among other things, so I thought I'd better get a chapter up now. I hope you enjoyed; we're hitting the beginning of the end of part two here!_

_**ANNOUNCEMENT:** Remember this? Well, that's right, it's back! We're almost at the end of Coming Home Part Two and the very last chapter I post will be a special chapter with bloopers, deleted scenes, the soundtrack, possibly some other things, and, my favorite, Q&A. So! If you have _**ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL**_, please leave them in a review and I will be sure to answer them in the special chapter. Hint: If you want to know more about Dante/Sin and where they come from or what their world/families/lives are like, here would be the chance to ask, lol. Can't wait to hear from you!_


	36. Chapter 35: Catching Vapor

_Chapter 35: Catching Vapor_

When Kaiba found himself once again thrown through a portal into some strange place, he couldn't even muster the energy to express his displeasure. Instead, he grimaced and surveyed the land. As he did, his eyes widened.

"Seto, isn't that . . . ?" Mokuba started, taking a hesitant step forward through the tall grass.

Kaiba nodded wordlessly. Where the edge of the field they stood in ended, Domino City began. Each building, road, and sign was in its proper place. Pigeons flew through the visible park, taxis zoomed through the traffic. Noah had apparently been keeping well-informed—Kaiba could even see the giant TVs installed on building sides purely for his tournament.

And at the very center of the downtown area loomed the most familiar building—the X-shaped skyscraper that housed KaibaCorp's headquarters. Light winked from each window, as if welcoming its owner back.

"Why did Noah send us here?" Mokuba asked, glancing up at him. "Where's everyone else? Where's the exit?"

"That's probably it," Kaiba said, eyes locked on his company. "KaibaCorp was Noah's goal; his exit from this world. It makes sense he would make it the literal exit as well."

"So he really is letting us go . . ." Mokuba said quietly, "but he's not coming with us?"

How can he? Kaiba thought. Noah had given up the opportunity to steal a body and, therefore, his opportunity for escape. Kaiba had to admit to himself that while he had every reason not to like the kid—and frankly didn't—he also didn't want to see him trapped in a virtual nightmare with Gozaburo. He could think of few fates worse than that.

"I think . . . I think Krisalyn could get him out," Mokuba said after a few moments of silence.

Oh good, Kaiba thought, ask for help from one enemy to save another. Sounds just weird enough to actually happen in my life.

He rested a hand on Mokuba's shoulder and gave him a nudge forward. "Let's get out of here first, and then worry about Noah."

He'd barely taken his first step forward when he had to jump back again due to falling bodies. Yet another thing just weird enough to happen to him.

The mutt, who'd landed at his feet, groaned and rolled onto his stomach so he could push himself into a kneeling position. Then he blinked and pointed an accusatory finger at Kaiba.

"Rich boy!"

"Very good, Mutt, you've learned to recognize people on sight. Most people can do that before they can speak, but it's a start."

To his immense surprise, rather than glaring or leaping to his feet in anger, Joey's mouth twisted in a crooked smile.

"Trust you to be the one person who can stay normal 'n calm through all this weird-o-ness."

Kaiba opened his mouth, then shut it, at a loss of what to say. Had the mutt just . . . _complimented_ him? Luckily, Yori stepped up to the speaking plate as she allowed her brother to pull her to her feet.

"That's Kai for you, Joey. But I think we're all holding up pretty well for how insane things have been. No psychotic breaks yet, right?"

"Twitch," Duke said, adding a one-eye spasm to match. The group laughed and Kaiba rolled his eyes.

"Hey, guys, look." Téa stepped forward, pointing toward the jagged line of buildings. "It's Domino!"

"The virtual version of it, at least," Mokuba agreed. "We think the exit's in KaibaCorp headquarters."

Kaiba frowned as he noticed all the newcomers immediately begin to shake their heads.

"Noah instructed us to head for the arcade," Yugi explained.

Kaiba's frown deepened. "Why would he put the exit in the arcade? What personal meaning could that possibly have for him?"

Yori shrugged. "He just said to go to the arcade, that's all I know."

"What if he was lying?"

Yori raised an eyebrow, meeting his gaze evenly. "Do you think he was?"

Kaiba hesitated. Habit told him to rely on the logic of his own decision rather than blind trust in someone else's words, but . . . He could still see the sky arching down toward him in a blinding mass of deadly needles, and how it shattered apart just before it hit. Noah had saved him, regardless of everything else. And why rescue him just to send him to his doom somewhere else?

Not only that, but Kaiba found himself wanting to trust his step-brother, even if just a bit. He was tired of enemies, tired of battles, and tired of having to do everything himself.

He took a deep breath. "Arcade it is."

He just prayed he wouldn't regret it, like all the other times he had tried to trust someone other than himself or Mokuba.

"Mistress!" an all-too-familiar voice shouted suddenly. "What is an arcade?"

Perfect, Kaiba thought. Why on Earth shouldn't he have one more trial along the way to freedom? His life was definitely too easy without talking dog . . . dragon . . . pyromaniac human . . . things. Naturally, naturally.

He sighed and promised himself eight hours of completely uninterrupted, blissful peace behind locked doors the moment they got back to the blimp.

* * *

Krisalyn had thought her heart was hammering before, but it jumped up to a whole new level at the sudden loss of light.

"Overhead power system, off." An electronic voice announced over the PA system. "Central and outlying computer systems, on. Virtual system, on. Security—"

It proceeded to list all the systems still functioning while Krisalyn ignored it and tried to see past the bright spots in her vision. A low, drawn-out hiss met her ears.

"Clever little girl," Malik purred. "Very well then, we shall play our hunt out in the true predator's element."

Krisalyn shuddered and tried to breathe as shallowly as possible. She ran one hand over the wall next to her just to reassure herself it was still there. With the other, she reached down and slipped off first one shoe, then the other. Stumbling around in the dark would be hard enough without trying to make sure her heels didn't clack with each step. It was safer to go barefoot.

She began walking, following her hand along the wall. She slid her feet forward rather than taking normal steps, feeling for any cables or rivets in the metal that could trip her up. All the while, her ears strained for any slight noises that might tell her Malik's location.

* * *

Noah ducked as his father threw an instinctive punch at him. The action overbalanced the man and he stumbled to the side. Angry color flushed through Gozaburo's face and neck.

"I'm not a child anymore, Father," Noah said, the truth burning through him like a wildfire. "I won't just stand still and take it."

His father laughed, a grating, harsh sound. "Not a child? Look at yourself, Noah!"

"I'm eighteen. I turned eighteen in January!" He closed his eyes. "Do you even know my birthday?"

Why did it have to be this way? Noah wondered, breathing heavily. Why did _you_ have to be this way?

He felt a ripple of energy beneath his feet and he jumped back, his eyes snapping open. He flicked a hand at his side and the ground retracted from its attack so he could meet his father's eyes. The dark irises churned like storm clouds, angry and dark. Not regretful at all. Not caring.

Then they flicked away from Noah, surveying the land. They narrowed.

"You . . ." Gozaburo chuckled without a sliver of humor. "You play quite the defensive game. Not a single attack yet."

Noah leaned back, wary. His father met his eyes again and his expression twisted in a sneer.

"I never thought you'd sink low enough to protect Seto."

"He's not the person you made me think he was," Noah replied. He tensed, keeping his senses alert, waiting for another attack.

Instead, his father shook his head and a new sinister smile crawled onto his lips. "Your distractions won't work, Noah. Seto's not making it out of this world."

He closed his eyes and Noah's heart jolted in his chest. He jumped forward, but his hand closed on empty air as his father vanished.

* * *

Malik ran his tongue down one of the rod's wings, then back up. He blinked his eyes at regular intervals, waiting for them to adjust to the darkness. The body he inhabited had grown up in underground tomb passageways so it didn't take long. Still, the room was filled with dull gray objects that wouldn't stand out in the dark and, if he remembered correctly, the girl had been wearing dark clothes, so he would have to rely on his ears more than anything. Goosebumps raised along his skin in anticipation of the hunt.

He swiped the rod out into the air before him and, when it didn't hit anything, he began creeping forward.

* * *

"I wonder if Noah's okay," Téa piped up after a few minutes of walking in silence.

Yami shrugged. Up against the enemy he'd seen in the sky . . . but, then again, this was Noah's world. His control had never slipped in the time they'd been there. Of course, he was up against his father, which distorted everything with emotion and made it all uncertain.

He sighed and gave up trying to reason it out. He had no clue what was happening beyond what he could see. And that made him more nervous than he wanted to admit.

"We just have to have faith in him," Serenity said, hugging the monkey Tristan close to her chest. He chattered in agreement. Or, Yami assumed it was agreement, anyway.

"I'm worried about Krisalyn and the missiles," Mokuba said quietly. He jogged a bit to keep stride with his older brother.

"Well, we haven't exploded yet," Joey said, nervous tension lacing his voice. He gave a goofy grin. "That's a good sign, right?"

"Very observant, Mutt," Kaiba replied. "Do you do tricks, too?"

"Shut it, rich boy."

"Even though we haven't seen any sign yet," Yami said, ignoring the back-and-forth, "we should probably hurry."

He kicked his pace up to a jog, Yori easily keeping up at his side. The buildings of Domino loomed in his sight, growing closer each second. He tried to remember where the arcade was from his one-time visit, but found that he couldn't. Hopefully the others knew.

He felt so helpless in this world. Previous endeavors had always had at least one familiar element to rely on, even if it was just winning a duel. But here? The world itself could change at any moment and the new enemy seemed to have no logical rules to his game. The world itself was his weapon and Yami couldn't think of a way to combat that.

"Mistress!" Dante suddenly swooped down over Yami's head, making him jump. The winged human hit the ground in front of them running, then pulled up, hopping a few steps until he came to a full stop. His enormous leathery wings retracted into his back through holes in his shirt, the black color slowly fading to leave normal skin behind. He flipped around to face them, raven hair falling across his face.

"The air feels strange!" he announced. He reached up to swat the unruly hair out of his eyes.

Yami blinked, and he had a feeling Yori did the same.

"Um," she said, seeming at a loss for words.

Dante's eyes widened suddenly and he barked, "Evil one, get down!" before snapping a hand up, a blast of fire erupting from his palm.

Behind them, someone laughed darkly. Yami whirled around and saw a man at the back of their group, closest to Kaiba, who had indeed dived to the ground at Dante's warning. The man's face was easily recognizable as the massive face in the sky that they had seen moments before. Gozaburo.

A slab of earth had risen chest-high to the man and a crater smoked in its middle. He waved a hand to the side; it burst apart in response, hailing dirt around his shoes.

Kaiba stumbled to his feet, placing himself between Mokuba and Gozaburo.

"Run!" Dante shouted. "All of you!"

Yami clenched his jaw, hating the fact that running really was the only option here. Instead of a Pharaoh in a former life, why couldn't he have been a dragon or a magician or something useful?

Yori slipped a hand into his and tugged him forward. "Come on. This is a fight we can't win."

Yami allowed himself to be pulled into a run, accepting the inevitable. The question was—was it a fight Dante could win?

* * *

Krisalyn had never gone through the monsters-under-the-bed or sleep-with-a-nightlight stage growing up. But as she inched her way forward in the soul-consuming blackness, she found herself promising silently to buy a nightlight the instant she got home. One that came equipped with pepper spray for any monsters that might be hunting for her blood in the dark.

She ran her hand over an uneven panel in the wall, feeling the seams that would open to braker boxes. The brakers. Where did that put her in the room? Still by the generator? Out in the open? She swallowed at the thought but forced herself to continue breathing evenly through her mouth even as she was sure Malik must have heard her thundering heart by now.

Not a sound had reached her ears from him. Either he hadn't moved, or he was slithering along through the darkness with a skill she'd hoped he wouldn't have. He didn't seem like the type to stand still for long, which left the second, terrifying option.

She closed her lips for a moment and ran her tongue over her teeth and across the roof of her mouth, trying to work some moisture back into it. Where was Malik? Across the room? Back at the computer?

She raised her free hand in the darkness, bringing it closer and closer to her face until it touched her forehead. Even moving it, she could barely make out its shape. Malik could be right behind her and she would never know it until he breathed down her neck.

The thought sent a shiver down her spine and raised the hair along her arms and neck. She clenched her teeth and gave herself a mental kick. Malik wasn't behind her—he was as blind in the dark as she was. As long as she kept going without a sound, she could circle the room, find the stairs, and make it to the computer.

And then what? a voice in her mind whispered. What happens when the computer responds to you and Malik is between you and the only exit when he hears it?

Half of her wanted to just fumble her way to the door, start running from the room, and never look back. She could get everyone off the base and let the missiles have at the hunk of metal, hopefully with Malik still aboard.

But what about Noah? And what if Malik hadn't meant anything by "our game resumes as of now" and the missiles were really only a fun side stop of chaos for him? What if he aimed them at Tokyo or Bangkok or Washington D.C. or any heavily populated area or world power capital? What if he aimed them in the middle of nowhere and killed an innocent family in the wrong place at the wrong time because she was terrified and just wanted to escape the situation?

She bit down hard on her tongue and shook her head. No, she was stuck as the hero in this scene, and even if it was a position she had less than zero interest in, she was the only one available. She would worry about what to do after the computer when she got there.

Something tugged at the back of her mind, triggered by one of the many thoughts she'd just had. The door—wasn't there some kind of problem with it? Nonsense, Malik had come through it just fine while she'd . . .

She remembered the flood of water with a jolt just as she splashed into it. At the sudden cold on her bare feet and the unexpected sensation, she let out an involuntary gasp, snapping her mouth shut too late.

* * *

Gozaburo eyed the boy running closer. He seemed to be about Seto's age, with a solid build and a disgusting punk appearance. Normally, Gozaburo would crush him without a thought, but the stranger's special abilities gave him pause. The nuisance couldn't be part of the virtual system, and yet he had a certain control over it if he could manipulate it into producing flames. Gozaburo also felt a bit of irritation—he knew the world wouldn't respond to him if he tried to create fire from nothing but the air. His confounded brain was still too rooted in reality to be able to accurately manipulate the possibilities of a virtual environment.

Good thing, then, that he would be escaping soon.

"Run, evil one," the stranger said, jumping to place himself between Gozaburo and Seto just as Seto had placed himself in front of his weakling brother.

"I can handle the coward now that he's come down from the clouds," Seto snarled. "His fight's with me, not you."

"Now is not the time for bravado—"

"No, no, Seto, stay," Gozaburo said, spreading his arms wide. "Let's have a father-son chat."

He felt the air ripple behind him and lowered his arms with an aggravated sigh.

"Really, Noah?" He turned to face the boy. "You've served your purpose, and if you were smart, you'd crawl into a nice digital hole and stay safely out of matters that don't concern you. As it is, you're going to get yourself . . . _killed."_

"If that's the end result, it won't be my doing," Noah said, a tremor in his voice. Gozaburo felt his good mood from finding Seto begin icing over at the boy's tone. He had so many, so very many ways of broadcasting weakness. It was disgusting.

"No, it won't be," he agreed. "It will gladly be mine."

Behind him, he heard a sharp intake of breath. Curious, he cast a glance over his shoulder and met the wide crimson eyes of the stranger.

"It worked before," the boy murmured, flexing one hand, his shock-widened eyes still on Gozaburo.

Gozaburo chuckled at the nuisance's naivety. "Did you try to attack me from behind? Not only is that bad sportsmanship, but it's pointless." He tapped the side of his head. "What you are seeing is only a projection—the only real thing about me is my mind. I have no nerves to transmit pain anymore. Therefore, you can't kill me unless I see the attack coming, because that's the only way to trick my brain."

The boy lowered his hand, eyes narrowing distrustfully. "Why tell me?"

"Teenagers." Gozaburo smirked. "The ungrateful generation."

At his side, his fingers twitched and his smirk widened. Why tell you? Because you won't live long enough to be able to use the knowledge.

"Move!" Noah shouted.

The nuisance dove aside, rolling into a crouch. Ropes of earth shot forward to follow him, attempting to twist around his limbs. Just as Gozaburo had expected, matching ropes burst from the ground and twined around those he'd made. The work of Noah.

But that was what he wanted.

While Noah focused his attention on protecting the stranger, Gozaburo sliced his other hand through the air, opening a portal beneath Seto. As his adopted son fell from sight, Gozaburo closed his eyes and followed.

* * *

_Authoress's Note: And at a forest's edge on winter's breath, with the frozen moments at my fingertips, the future unmasked itself in the reflection of unseeing eyes. . . . This is where I find my motivation. Yeah, don't ask, but I'm happy, so all's good._

_**IMPORTANT!** Special chapter and its contents will soon be posted. Any questions you wish to pose to the weirdness who is me, now is the time! Ask about writing, ask about characters, ask about life and its mysteries, just ask. I await with eager eyes!_


	37. Chapter 36: The End of the Rope

_Chapter 36: The End of the Rope_

"No!" Noah shouted as his father disappeared with Seto.

"Seto!" Mokuba screamed. His eyes locked onto Noah's, his panic-stricken expression pleading.

Noah grabbed the boy's arm and pushed him at Dante. "Get him out of here!"

He barely had time to see Dante's grim nod before he closed his eyes and vanished. The virtual world rippled with remnants of energy from Gozaburo's movement and Noah followed the threads like a trail, the same way his father had followed the earlier portal energy to Seto.

The moment Noah sensed his father again, he threw himself forward blindly. His eyes snapped open just as his shoulder rammed into the man's back. Gozaburo stumbled and his latest attack on Seto shot wide of its target.

"Seto, run!"

Just as Noah gave the warning, his father whirled around and brought a fist straight at Noah's jaw. The boy saw the attack coming, but couldn't duck fast enough. Gozaburo's fist caught him on the cheekbone and lifted him clean off his feet. His shoulder-blades slammed into the jagged, rocky ground and he skidded backward. The sky above him twisted and shot toward him like a lightning bolt—his father's favorite attack, it seemed.

Noah tried to throw his arms up to stop the attack, but the ground around him trapped his limbs in place with the same form of rock shackles he'd used on Mokuba. Noah gasped, his heart thundering in panic. Clenching his fists blasted apart the rock, but it was too late.

The shattered sky filled his vision, death reflected in each crystal needle.

* * *

Malik's heart jolted into his throat at the splash of water and he practically drooled at the gasp which followed.

"I hear you, girlie," he whispered to the darkness and then chuckled as if the line had been a good joke. He gave her three seconds to drown in fear and another five to run, which she did, the frantic splashing pinpointing her location for certain.

Malik brushed a hand across the wall next to him to ground his direction, then bolted forward. But after only a few steps, his feet tangled in something, tripping him up. He crashed to the ground with an echoing, metalic sound, followed by a snarl. Propped up on an elbow, he fumbled around his ankles for what had interfered with him and found that his feet had become twisted up by a set of thin straps attached to a hard base. He ripped them off and hurled them at the wall, satisfied by the sharp sound of contact they made.

Women's shoes—so the little mouse was still fighting. Well, tripping him was only a momentary setback. She'd have to do better than that.

"Nice try," he purred, "but try again."

He shoved himself to his feet and resumed the pursuit. No matter how long she managed to draw out the chase, he _would_ catch her. And then he, in turn, would draw out the torture.

His feet hit the edge of the water just as a computerized voice echoed in the room.

"You have not entered targeting coordinates. Beginning targeting suggestions."

The splashing ahead of him immediately ceased as the girl gasped. Malik's lips curled up in a grin. He'd almost forgotten his missile fun.

"Target 35, 139?" the computer asked, and Malik's expression immediately morphed to a frown. Numbers? What kind of a target was _that?_

"No!" the girl shouted, her voice laced with terror. Did the numbers mean something to her?

How convenient that he had a translator on hand. Malik began to creep forward again, the water beneath his feet splashing in the returned silence with each deliberate step. The computer responded to voice, which meant—

"Target suggestion rejected. Target 32, 140?"

Sure enough, it had followed her command. If she managed to reject each target before he could accept it, he would never get anywhere with the chaos project. But if he could startle her, he would have the upper hand.

"No," he said at the same time she did, his deep voice ringing in the metallic room. He smirked as he imagined her mind spinning at his command. She would be wondering if he understood the computer as she did. She would be wondering if he had a specific target in mind. She would be wondering if he had decided to reject using the missiles after all.

The answer, of course, was _no._

"Target suggestion rejected. Target 33, 141?"

While the girl remained a step behind, her mind no doubt overrun with questions, Malik shouted his answer to the silence.

"_Yes!"_

"Target suggestion accepted. Targeting your current location: KaibaCorp AquaBase. Launch sequence initiated, beginning countdown. Please evacuate all personnel immediately."

* * *

Kaiba staggered as Gozaburo's attack grazed his arm. He went down hard on one knee but shoved himself back to his feet immediately, teeth bared in a snarl at the man who'd made his life hell for years on end. Though Noah shouted at him to run, he held his ground. He would never give Gozaburo the satisfaction of seeing him cower.

Gozaburo rounded on Noah, sending the boy sprawling. The moment Noah's back touched the ground, the earth liquified and poured over his limbs, solidifying again and trapping him in place. The sky above him surged down in the same attack first used on Kaiba.

Without thought, Kaiba leapt forward and slammed his own fist into Gozaburo. Since the man stood half-turned to face Noah, Kaiba's punch didn't catch him straight in the face as he had always wanted, but still—as Gozaburo crashed to the ground, face sliding in the dirt, Kaiba savored the brief flash of shock that his step-father's eyes had registered. Even if it wasn't the exact retaliation he had always longed to make, he felt a distinct satisfaction.

"Now we're even," he said, locking gazes with Noah. The boy stared back at him with wide, stunned eyes. With his hair now black (for some odd reason, whatever), he did look a bit more like his father, and Kaiba found himself wondering how much effort Gozaburo had put into completely erasing the boy's existence after his death. Just when he thought his step-father couldn't sink any lower, the man always proved him wrong.

Gozaburo let loose a snarl and kicked out at Kaiba, who jumped back, out of the man's reach. Noah shook himself as if to regain his senses and scrambled to his feet. He moved a hand and Kaiba winced inwardly. Sure enough, a heartbeat later he felt himself falling through a portal of black.

Surprisingly, he managed to land on his feet, though he staggered a few steps. It seemed the method of unnatural movement got easier each time, though his brain still floundered for a moment, trying to figure out where he now stood. On a city street somewhere. Downtown Domino?

Mokuba's relieved voice shouted his name and he turned in shock at where the sound had come from—the sky. At the sight of his brother riding piggy-back on the flying winged-human-dragon-dog thing, Kaiba felt his headache increase and added a dose of Advil to his self-promised recovery as soon as this whole virtual world thing was over.

"Why aren't the others with you?" Noah demanded, and Kaiba jumped. He hadn't noticed the boy standing behind him and had just assumed he'd stayed behind with Gozaburo.

Dante swooped down to land on the road beside them, Mokuba still clinging to his back. "Mistress and her group are following. Mokuba knew this 'Arcade' and—"

Kaiba heard the running feet before Dante finished and Noah cut the human-dragon off by sending him through a portal. Mokuba gave a cry of surprise as he disappeared and Kaiba shot a hand out toward his brother on instinct, closing on empty air.

"What are you—" he started to snap at Noah, only to realize the boy had already sent the rest of the geek squad through another portal and opened one more beneath Kaiba as well.

This time he managed to land on his feet solidly, though the fact that he had mastered the mode of travel didn't help his mood any. To say he was sick of being jerked around the world on Noah and Gozaburo's whims would be like saying Pegasus kind-of sort-of made enough money to scrape a living off Duel Monsters.

"Hey, Noah, what gives?" Joey demanded, and Kaiba realized suddenly that Noah had pulled the entire group together, rather than splitting them all up again.

"Don't talk," Noah said, his voice sharp and urgent. "We only have seconds before my father catches up. I can't keep fighting him off _and_ get all of you safely out of the virtual world. So, the next time I shift our positions in the world, everyone needs to run. My father is following the energy of our movements, and if we keep jumping from the same places, he can follow the portals easily. Listen now, and listen well. I need two people to play Seto and I for a few minutes. But you'd better be able to move fast and you'd better be smart. Next time we jump positions, those two people need to peel off and keep him distracted long enough for me to get everyone else to the exit. Then I'll come back and send those two out. Decide who it will be. _Now."_

Kaiba stared slack-jawed at Noah, as did everyone else. He recovered fastest though and snapped, "I don't need favors from anyone—"

"Seto, if you stay in this world, Gozaburo will kill you," Noah said, meeting his eyes with a sick expression. "It might take a minute, it might take an hour; it _will_ happen. If we do this right now, before he catches up, I promise I can get everyone out. If you try to keep playing the stubborn hero . . ." He shook his head. "Right now, we both need favors."

Kaiba reared back as if struck. For the first time, he thought of death as a very real, very close possibility, and he felt his innards tie themselves in knots. He'd always known growing up that Gozaburo might one day kill him, directly or not. But not now. Not when he'd been free of the man for four years. Not when he had already won this war.

Even knowing that, though, the thought of running while someone else stood to fight curdled his stomach. He opened his mouth to protest again, only hesitating when he caught a glimpse of his brother out of the corner of his eye as the boy hopped off Dante's back.

If something happened to him, what would happen to Mokuba? Another orphanage, and this time he would be the heir to KaibaCorp. A million Gozaburo-esque, power-hungry maniacs would be waiting at the gates with open arms and adoption papers.

"I'll do it," Yori said even as Kaiba's mind churned. She ignored the protests that immediately came from her brother and added, "I'm used to fighting and hiding on the streets."

Noah barely cast her a glance. "Good, one more."

Kaiba ground his teeth, certain that any moment a vein would pop in his forehead. Was he truly helpless against this man he had already defeated?

"I will not allow you to face danger alone, Mistress," Dante piped up. He curled his lip in distaste. "Even if it means taking up the mantle of Evil One."

A flash of shock interrupted his thoughts. He shook his head quickly to clear it. Dante was doing it for Yori, not him, and it was good, since the strange creature did seem to be a good protector, if nothing else.

Did this mean he had resigned himself to running? He cast another glance at Mokuba, and this time the boy met his gaze, fear obvious in his wide eyes past his obvious attempt to hide it.

Kaiba felt the urge to groan and scream at the same time.

"Actually, I think you get _my_ 'mantle,'" Noah said to Dante. "You have some sort of weird ability, and that will help the illusion. My father will be able to feel your power in the world around you."

He snapped and Dante's unruly black hair smoothed out in a copy of Noah's own style. The dragon-human's wings vanished and he shrunk down to Noah's size, his clothes shimmering into Noah's outfit.

"As soon as my father knows you're not me, the illusion will vanish, which should buy you a few more seconds of surprise," Noah said. He turned to face Yori, only to pause.

Yori and Yugi had their heads together and were obviously engaged in a whispered argument. Sharp energy reflected in the girl's eyes that Kaiba recognized from his own moments facing a furious Yori. It didn't appear to faze Yugi though—his own expression had twisted into a frustrated anger to match hers. Kaiba had to do a double-take because he had never seen such an expression on Yugi's face before; it was almost the exact opposite of the signature bubbly smile.

As he noticed Noah's gaze, Yugi turned to the boy and snapped, "She's not doing it."

"Yami!" Yori hissed, barely loud enough that Kaiba caught it. He frowned. Yami?

"We don't have time for this," Noah growled, casting a glance to the side as if he could feel Gozaburo approaching. "I need someone _now."_

"I'll do it," someone new volunteered, and Kaiba almost choked at the all-too-familiar voice. "I've seen my fair share of street fightin' too. I can handle it."

"Done," Noah said. He snapped, and Joey Wheeler turned into a mirror image of Seto Kaiba.

* * *

_Authoress's Note: Scenes coming up: Krisalyn gets caught, Dante and Joey try to survive an invincible enemy, the virtual world malfunctions, and Yori and Yami are in a fight . . . for their lives._

_**SPECIAL CHAPTER FAST APPROACHES!** Throw whatever questions you have at me, and I will answer them in the Q&A. . . . My favorite cloud is cumulus._


	38. Chapter 37: A Wrench in Plans

_Chapter 37: A Wrench in Plans_

Krisalyn could have gladly killed herself. After all the work, all the effort, she'd let him target the base in the end. She'd put everyone in danger.

"Current location?" she heard Malik parrot in the darkness. Then he let out one of his twisted cackles. "Well, _that _makes the game more interesting!"

Krisalyn ground her teeth together hard enough that a flash of pain shot through her jaw. Time for self-pity later. Right now, she had to get everyone clear of the base. It would probably take about a half-hour for the missiles to make contact, which meant she needed everyone off the base in a maximum of twenty minutes.

She whirled around—kicking up a splash of water that soaked her pants almost to the knees—and half-dragged herself along the wall to the opening that once held the door. She ducked out into the hallway, tripped over a still-present CleaningBot, but caught herself before she fell.

First things first, she needed to get the overhead power back on. But not from the room Malik still occupied. Not on her life.

Behind her, Malik purred, "I hear you swimming away, little mouse. Where will you go?" His voice broke in what sounded like glee. "Where will you slither that your missiles can't find you?"

Krisalyn slammed her fist against the wall, jolting pain through her weakened elbow. She wished more than anything that her attempt to taser the psycho earlier had been successful.

The water rippled beneath her and something brushed her hand on the wall before clamping down on her wrist. She let out an involuntary gasp and tried to jerk away from Malik's hand.

"Not this time," he whispered, lips right next to her ear and breath hot on her flushed skin. His grip tightened, deadening the nerves in her fingers. "I win."

_No! _her brain screamed. She was _not_ going down now. Not when she was the only one who could save everyone.

She grabbed his wrist with her free hand, digging her manicured nails into his skin as hard as her fear-weakened muscles would allow. For the first time, she spoke back, her tone a hiss strangled by terror.

"Where will _you_ go?"

"What?" She could hear the frown in his reply.

Her fingers tightened further, her muscles shaking with the effort. "Stabbing me won't reverse the missiles. Cutting out my heart won't release your ship. None of your sadistic threats or your sick games can save you. You're on this base right along with the rest of us, and if those missiles find us, where do you think _you_ can hide?"

He snarled a wordless reply, but seemed at a loss. So Krisalyn pressed on, her voice gaining strength with each word.

"Even if you can get your ship free, you can't pilot it. And what happens when you return to shore without its owner? Seto Kaiba's goons will be on you faster than you can make up excuses. And there's no way they'll mistake _you_ for innocent."

"I see I might have been hasty," Malik growled, reluctance thick in his voice. "I will simply have to change the missile's course, but that will be _after_ I deal with you."

He stepped forward, slamming her into the wall with the same motion. The breath escaped her lungs in a rush and a ringing exploded in her ears. She struggled to pull away, but his forearm pressed against her collarbone, trapping her in place.

"It's a shame I can't properly see the fear in your eyes," Malik said. "I'll bet it's quite . . . _exquisite."_

Krisalyn kicked out in the darkness. A splash of cold water sprayed farther up her pant leg, but her foot connected with nothing. She gasped for breath, clawing at the wrist still in her grasp. The air scorched her throat, her lungs, burning with an oncoming death that filled her dry mouth with the taste of bile.

_Focus!_ her mind shrieked. It turned into a chant that she clung to desperately. _Focus, focus, focus._

"You can't!" she choked out. Bright spots burst in the darkness before her from the strain on her eyes; her stomach twisted and heaved, but she swallowed against the sensation. The ringing in her ears pulsed like a death knell, drowning out the words she was certain she'd said.

Malik's arm tightened against the base of her neck. She released his wrist and grabbed at it, but the pressure only increased. Pain lanced through her throat and she whimpered, tears sliding like ice down her skin.

"Can't what?" Malik mocked. A throaty laugh rumbled in the air. "You know, I have yet to hear you scream. I think I'd very much like to remedy that."

He increased his grip on her wrist and twisted. Tracks of fire blazed up her skin, pooling at her wounded elbow. She squeezed her eyes shut, though it made no difference. Her mind urged her to keep talking, but she couldn't force words past her constricted throat.

I'm going to die. More tears tracked their way down her skin, frosting over the nerves in her cheeks, along her lips, at the edge of her jaw. I'm going to die. I'm going to die.

She almost released a hysteric laugh at the thought. What kind of sick world did she exist in where you could get killed doing a computer tech favor for your brother?

"Something to say?" Malik purred, twisting again. She felt her bones creak under his fingers. A sort of detached sense warned her that he might break her wrist. But, she'd broken her wrist at work before; she was familiar with that pain. It was the arm cutting off her supply of oxygen that shot terror through her senses. He didn't mean to just break a bone or throw her around like her boyfriend—he meant to kill her.

Not just her. Everyone on the base.

"You can't—" She choked on the words and had to gasp in a breath. She couldn't die. Not here. Not now. "You can't change the . . . the missile target."

An aggravated sound rumbled in Malik's throat. "A moment ago, you insisted I had to." Amusement began to creep through his voice. "Now that you see your own death so close, do you want everyone else to accompany you? Your own sadistic side finally shines through."

His fingers slackened around her wrist just a fraction, all the encouragement she needed.

"The—The computer system is irreversible," she panted. "You _can't_ change a target after—after it accepts."

She pried at his arm again in vain. Krisalyn was far from a weakling, but the weight against her collarbone could have doubled as a slab of concrete for all it moved. She tried to take a shallow breath; it turned into a cough.

"Clever lie"—a faint golden light sparked in the corner of Krisalyn's vision—"but there's an easy way to disprove that."

The spark solidified into a glow that blinded her after so long in the dark, yet she found she couldn't close her eyes against it. A thick fog cocooned her, blurring her senses. The sensation felt familiar and she struggled to remember why, but not for long. Along with her vision and hearing, it dulled the spikes of pain in her nerves to background pulses. The pressure on her chest remained, but it felt distant, withdrawn. It spread a weary trickle of relief through Krisalyn's veins.

Something in her mind urged her to think of a computer program. The missiles, yes. Ridiculous of Gozaburo to have the weapons in the first place, but even more so to have no way to reverse the program. He built his systems around a zero tolerance for mistakes, as if that alone could prevent any from happening. Most of his programs didn't have any form of escape function, not just the missiles. It was—

The pain returned full-board, shattering the blanket of fog. Heat lanced through her elbow, each shard of glass gnawing at her skin, each drop of blood like a small tongue of flame. A migraine pounded in her skull, pressed against the back of her eyes like red-hot coals. Each labored breath shredded her raw throat. Malik's hand around her wrist cut straight through the skin, etching agony into cracks in the bone.

"Missiles launched," the computer suddenly announced, oblivious to the situation. "Impact in twenty-five minutes and counting."

Malik snarled something unintelligible. His arm pressed tighter, and past the rush of blood in her ears, Krisalyn thought she heard her collarbone fracture. She choked; tears swam in her vision, blending bright spots and darkness into a nauseating tangle. Tremors raced through her legs and her knees buckled, leaving her supported by nothing but the crushing weight at the base of her neck. A strangled half-scream issued from her soul, stealing what little breath she had left.

And then the pressure vanished.

* * *

Joey stared down at himself for about three seconds before a shudder rippled through his body. He scrubbed his hands furiously up and down his arms, as if he could physically remove the Kaiba appearance.

That was all he had time for because Noah said, "Here we go!" and suddenly he had the roller-coaster-drop feeling of falling through a portal. He landed face-first on the pavement and let out a groan. A hand latched onto the back of his collar and jerked him to his feet; he responded with a yelp.

"Lay off—" He blinked, caught completely off guard by the figure standing there. He had expected it to be Duke or even Yori. Instead, he came face-to-face with Rich-boy.

Kaiba didn't say anything, he just stood there with a fierce glower locked on Joey. Joey scowled back and tried to twist free of the vice-like grip still on the back of his Kaiba coat.

"Run, now!" Noah snapped. "Everyone!"

Serenity threw her arms around Joey and he tore his gaze from Kaiba's in order to look at his little sister. The jerk finally released him, but Joey didn't move.

"Be careful, Joey!" Serenity begged, unshed tears choking her voice. Joey shook himself back to reality and hugged her tightly.

"No worries," he said, flashing her a lopsided smile and then prying her arms free. "Go with Duke—I'll catch up in just a minute."

"_Now!"_ Noah growled.

Joey pushed Serenity toward the rest of the group and they all took off running down a side street—though Joey didn't miss the agonized glance Yori cast him. Joey frowned in response. Yugi hated for his friends to get mixed up in danger, but he'd never forcibly held one back before. Then again, Yori was his sister. Joey couldn't imagine letting Serenity put her life at risk either. She and Mai—

Mai? Where had her name come from? Joey shook his head again. Focus!

"Seto!" Mokuba turned to face Joey again, skidding to a halt as the rest of the group continued. "Come on!"

For a second, Joey thought the boy was talking to him, and he almost gagged. Did he really look so much like Kaiba that it fooled _Mokuba?_

Then he realized the real Kaiba still stood behind him. He jumped and whirled to face the creepy lurker. Rich-boy's crystal eyes had taken on a black shadow and he looked like he had a snarl caught in his throat.

Mokuba's voice caught Joey's ear again. "Seto! We have to trust Noah!"

Without warning, Kaiba smacked Joey upside the head.

"Yeowch!" Joey yelped, stumbling back. He growled and curled his hands into fists. "What the heck kind of stunt—"

Kaiba's snarl finally broke free in the form of words. "I didn't invite you to my tournament, Wheeler, and if you die here, I'll gladly give your place in the finals to someone deserving."

Joey bristled, fury rippling through him from head to toe. "As if, Rich-boy! I'm _winning_ that tournament!"

"_Prove it,"_ Kaiba sneered. He shoved past Joey. "I'll see you in the finals, when you're kneeling at my feet!"

The moment Kaiba caught up to the group, they vanished, leaving Joey standing alone with Dante.

"That—that—that—that—" Joey gave an unintelligible snarl, unable to think of a word accurately awful enough for Seto Kaiba. "If it wasn't for everyone _else_ in the group, I'd say leave him for the freaky sky guy!"

"You would not," Dante said, a hint of amusement sparking in his now-green eyes. "You are much too soft-hearted."

Joey harrumphed his disagreement and spun on a heel, trying not to look down at himself so he wouldn't be reminded of the rich jerk.

Before he could take a step, though, something appeared in the corner of his vision.

"Move!" Dante shouted, and Joey leapt aside just in time to miss the exploded pavement from Gozaburo's attack.

* * *

As much as his desires fought against it, Malik pulled back from the girl. She collapsed at his feet with a splash, gasping and coughing for breath.

Why did his fun _always_ get ruined? Taking over his pathetic creator's body was supposed to be the beginning of everything he wanted, and yet he couldn't even slice up an insignificant girl.

"Fix your system," he growled into the darkness. "My patience grows very, very thin."

The girl stumbled to her feet, kicking up water loudly in the near-silent hallway. He could still almost _taste_ her fear in the air, and it called to him like the aroma of food to a week-starved wanderer. He should have at least broken her wrist before releasing her, just to hear her scream. The scream of the woman he had banished to the Shadow Realm had been thrilling, but he could sense that this mouse's terror would produce an even finer sound. At his sides, his fingers itched to reach out again.

Twenty-five minutes before missile impact. That gave plenty of time for just a little torture—just enough to sate his appetite until he could fully engage the pharaoh. Having the room lit would be ideal so he could see the fear in her expression, but perhaps the darkness would magnify the effect of a scream.

The only way to know was to try.

His fingers tightened around the rod, his free hand reaching out in the darkness. Just five minutes to—

Without warning, a shrill alarm echoed through the base, shocking Malik enough he stumbled backward. A series of blinding lights flashed on the ceiling, illuminating shapes in the waterlogged hallway in stark cutouts of red highlights and black shadows.

"Oncoming threat detected," an electronic voice announced, the calm tone in complete contrast to the echoing siren and alert lights. "Beginning shutdown of KaibaCorp AquaBase and destruction of sensitive information."

The girl let out a choked gasp and took off running, stumbling in her haste and steadying herself with a hand on the wall. Malik squinted after her and a flash of irritation tightened his muscles—both at the aggravating red lights and her sudden bolt.

"Powering down external systems," the voice continued. "Virtual World shutdown commencing."

Malik growled and whirled around. His fingers still itched at his sides, but at least when he finally cornered the pharaoh, he could take his sweet time. Perhaps he would even have the chance to move on to the rest of blimp passengers. It was a shame he couldn't do much in the air without running the risk of a revolt; he could think of at least one passenger who would be happy to throw him from the moving aircraft. So he would have to wait until he could catch them in shadow games, where the rules and playing field catered to only the strongest, and he suffered no risk of being overcome.

But oh how he hated the wait.

"What a waste of time," he growled, kicking a small robot from under his feet. The warning siren continued to wail and the lights flickered along with it. He cracked his neck and headed for the blimp—at least inside, he would be away from the infernal alarm system.

* * *

As soon as the group had fully gathered, Noah reached his mind out to the virtual world around them, pulling them into a tunnel through the coding that would lead them to the world's exit.

Initially, he had intended to make the exit from his world the KaibaCorp headquarters themselves, as a symbolic representation of his literal exit. But standing isolated in his world, looking up at the cold, unfeeling glass and metal structure, had made him hesitate. Truth be told, he had never wanted KaibaCorp at all. He had no interest in business (though he was sure he had enough knowledge that he _could_ do the job). He had even less interest in weapons, and had actually harbored the secret thought that Seto had been smart to pursue gaming instead. Not that he would have had a choice if he did take over; his father would have used him to force the company back to its original line of work.

So, though KaibaCorp was his literal escape from the virtual world, he had moved the program's escape route to something far more symbolic.

He still felt surprised to learn—while viewing Seto's memories—that the other teen used games as a temporary break from reality. First of all because he never would have suspected the calculating, sharp business man needed or wanted a break at all, but more so because games had always been a secret desire of Noah's. Growing up, he had wanted his father to take him to the arcade more than anywhere else. But his father despised games and "time wasting" of any kind, so he had been forced to turn to music instead. Not that music hadn't worked; his hours spent playing the violin always brought him a soothing renewal of strength to face the day. But it still left that secret desire unfulfilled. The first time Noah ever stepped foot into the Domino Arcade, it was virtual, and he was alone.

So he had made himself the ridiculous promise that once he returned to the real world, the first place he would go was the arcade. Even if he was surrounded by strangers. Even if his father disapproved.

And, ridiculous though it was, Noah felt a sharp pang of longing at the thought that he had now given away any chance at achieving that.

He bit his lip and shoved the emotion away. There were things more important than a stupid childhood dream that never had a chance to begin with.

Suddenly, Noah's link to the virtual world fragmented and then wrenched away. He gave a sharp cry as the connection seemed to tear itself from his mind, leaving only a fierce throbbing in its wake.

His wasn't the only cry in the air. Without his direction and control, the portal vanished, dropping its occupants haphazardly. Noah landed on his feet with a moan, hands clenched around his head and his eyes pressed tightly shut. Pain—what a memory. He hadn't thought it was possible to ever feel it again, but, then, everything else imaginable had happened to him within just a few hours.

He ground out a curse from between clenched teeth and forced his eyes open, only to find himself alone in the middle of a Domino street.

* * *

_Authoress's Note:_ _I admit, this should not have taken me nearly as long as it did. I apologize._

_**SPECIAL CHAPTER FAST APPROACHES!** Ask me your heart's desire . . . and I will find a genie._


	39. Chapter 38: White Noise

_Chapter 38: White Noise_

Joey had given up his gangs-n-streetfights way of life after Yugi befriended him, but the skills rushed back in an instant. At Gozaburo's raised hand, a streetlamp twisted to life and speared toward him, but Joey dive-rolled away.

"You can resist all you like, Seto." Gozaburo's eyes flashed beneath his monstrous eyebrows. "The end is inevitable."

An' I thought my dad was bad, Joey thought. At the moment, he would much prefer a few beer bottles thrown at his head compared to what Gozaburo could dish out.

Joey's eyes darted around the street, looking for strengths and weaknesses in his surroundings. He had to focus. If he could escape a ten-member gang in the real Domino, he could definitely fight off one man in a virtual one. The streetlamp writhed toward him again and he swung himself over the stair railing of the house he stood in front of. The streetlamp crashed into the side of the concrete stairs, shattering its top into fragments of glass that skittered across the sidewalk.

Dante rammed his shoulder into Gozaburo's chest, throwing the solid man off balance. He didn't speak, and Joey decided it would be best to do the same. Their voices would probably give away the disguises immediately. He prided himself on the fact that he sounded nothing like Rich Boy.

"Your end is sealed as well," Gozaburo snarled, grabbing for Dante. Dante dropped to the ground and slammed an arm into the back of Gozaburo's knees. He ducked out of the way as the man fell, then raised a wall of fire between himself and the splintered sidewalk that Gozaburo raised in attack.

"Copying your creation now, are you?" Gozaburo lobbed a fragmented chunk of cement at Dante, who ducked. "By the way, how unoriginal of you to create a dragon-human who uses _fire."_

Dante opened his mouth to speak, his expression blazing, then snapped it shut. Gozaburo clenched a fist in the air and a car on the road beside them veered toward Dante, engine screaming.

Gozaburo's black eyes burned. "Stay dead this time, Noah."

Dante faced the car, but made no move to escape. He shifted one leg back to brace himself and held his bent arms forward like he was prepared to catch a football rather than a speeding sledgehammer of steel. It suddenly occurred to Joey that if Dante really was a dragon (by whatever strange reality that might be possible), he probably didn't understand cars.

"No!" Joey shouted just as the car made contact. It slammed into Dante's stomach, his arms giving way like water struck by a boulder. He tumbled up the hood of the car, breaking the windshield on impact. The car crashed into the house he'd been in front of with a shriek of twisting metal.

Gozaburo erupted into laughter. "Did you think you could _stop_ it? It's no wonder that worked the first time."

Joey let out a snarl and dived at Gozaburo from behind, knocking the man to the ground. Gozaburo let out a half grunt, a cold smile etched into his features.

"Look at you, Seto, suddenly caring."

He swung a fist at Joey's head, but Joey rolled away.

Joey darted a glance at the car—trying to see what condition Dante was in—just in time to see it burst into flames. The metal hissed under the heat, a silent scream that made Joey's hair stand on end.

Dante climbed onto the hood of the car, then the roof. His eyes blazed more intensely than the fire clawing at his legs, and his expression held a hint of something Joey had never seen in the dragon-human. His eyes were wide, his breaths hurried and ragged. A trickle of blood traced a path from beneath his hairline just in front of his ear.

"Humans are inventive," he said, and his voice held none of the admiration the words suggested. "A metal beast. Full of the force of your emotions that you are too weak to convey on your own."

He jumped down, fists clenched, and approached Gozaburo and Joey with measured steps. Joey scrambled to his feet and backed up to the edge of the street. Gozaburo kept his gaze on Dante, his eyes narrowing.

"Noah can't bleed," he growled. At his words, the illusion around Dante melted away.

"Now would be a really great time for ya to come back, Noah," Joey muttered under his breath, hoping that somehow Noah could hear him. He looked down at himself and saw that Rich Boy's appearance had faded as well.

A slow, dead smile formed on Gozaburo's face. "Well if you're not Noah, you can't run."

Dante's red eyes burned like coals. "I have no reason to run from you."

"No, I imagine Noah programmed you that way."

Gozaburo raised a hand and the flaming car behind Dante lurched toward him, tires squealing on the sidewalk. The stench of melting rubber burned Joey's nose.

Dante didn't even glance back; he dived forward, grabbed Gozaburo by the throat, and swung him into the oncoming car. It struck them both, pulling Gozaburo beneath the underbelly and throwing Dante back. Dante pulled himself into a crouch, his eyes narrowed to slits like red razors. Fierce rashes bled at his elbow and wrist, the skin between them raw and irritated. Another drop of blood fell from his hairline.

Joey shook himself out of his gaping stupor. This was insane. All of it. He rushed forward and grabbed Dante's sleeve, hauling the dragon-human to his feet. Dante turned his cutting gaze on Joey and clamped a hand around the blonde's wrist.

"You're outta your mind!" Joey snapped. "People do not throw themselves at cars!"

The fire in Dante's eyes simmered down a bit and he released Joey's wrist. In an almost-pouting voice, he said, "He threw it at me."

The metal shrieked again and Joey dragged Dante around the corner of a house. A flaming wreck of twisted metal shot by them a moment later, throwing sparks in the street.

"That's it; we're gettin' outta here," Joey said. "Noah better be ready, 'cause we're comin' to him."

"I can handle this fight," Dante protested.

Joey shoved him toward the opening of the alley. "You're bleeding; we're runnin'. Do your wing thing."

"My wings are not—"

The ground beneath them bucked, dropping them both to their knees. The houses on either side of them swayed and groaned. Tremors rumbled in the earth, vibrating through Joey's very bones.

Gozaburo appeared at the mouth of the alley, standing solid in the midst of the earthquake. He spread his arms wide, his dark smile wider.

"You cannot kill me; this universe is slave to my will."

"This universe is a cage," Dante shot back, "and you are as trapped as we."

Joey grabbed his arm and hissed, "Second lesson in sane-ness—people do not tick off other people who can throw cars at them!"

It faintly occurred to Joey that were they in the real world—where he understood what could happen, where the worst he faced was a beating—he would have been shouting insults before Dante could. He swallowed, wondering when he'd turned coward.

"Yeh—I—know what, scratch that," Joey said, overriding whatever Dante opened his mouth to say. He turned his eyes on Gozaburo and forced himself to his feet, pressing close to the wall of a house in an attempt to anchor himself against the quaking ground.

"Still have some fight in us, do we?" Gozaburo said.

The house's siding cracked under Joey's hand and he let out a yelp and stumbled back, falling to his hands and knees. The crack continued up the wall, splintering the structure's support.

"Look!" Joey turned a glare on Gozaburo. "We ain't part of your beef with Rich Boy, but if you wanna fight, bring it like a man!"

Gozaburo raised a hand. "Spoken like a true child."

The weakened house groaned and from inside the walls came the sharp crack of snapping beams. Dante grabbed Joey under the arms and a huge gust of air swept toward Gozaburo.

The next second, Joey found himself lifted off the ground and rushing in the same direction. Gozaburo's eyes widened—the lines of his face deepening in fury—and then Joey was practically on top of him. Unable to think of many options, Joey swung his legs up and kicked the man straight in the face, knocking him onto his back.

Then Dante dropped him. His unmanly shriek disappeared in the roar of the collapsing house, the only grace the moment was willing to give. He landed on his feet, but only stayed there a second before tumbling headfirst into the roadway. Pain scraped through his skin from his shoulder to his hip and pounded in the back of his skull. He curled into a sitting position, cradling his head, and shouted an "OW!" more to make a statement than to help anything.

Dante landed next to him, light as a freaking feather. "As I tried to tell you, my wings are not of sufficient strength to carry someone close to my own weight, and you are so big that the air cannot properl—"

"OW!" Joey repeated, glaring up at him.

Dante held up his hands. "I apologize."

Gozaburo climbed to his feet again, one hand on his face. He snarled something incoherent. Veins stood out sharp definition on his hands and throat. The earthquake had vanished when Joey's kick hit its mark, but Gozaburo almost seemed to be an earthquake in himself, trembling with power, an instant from unleashing destruction. He raised a hand, then brought it slicing down through the air.

Joey scuttled backwards, expecting the ground to open beneath him as it always did when Noah made the same gesture. Dante took off again, almost blowing Joey over with the force of his wings coming down.

Nothing happened.

Joey hesitated, then tapped the pavement with his knuckles. It didn't give way. He looked up at Gozaburo.

Gozaburo stared back, his breathing coming in hard rushes. He repeated the slicing motion, with no results.

"What kind of trick is this?" he snarled, staring down at his hands. He flexed his fingers, as if expecting them to change.

They didn't, but something else did. The collapsed house behind him blurred at the edges, then flickered, like a movie that had suddenly been paused. Each hard edge softened and sharpened like breathing. The colors ran together at the edges. Blended into a single hazy, dull tone. The corners cracked into squares.

Gozaburo turned, his eyes widening, the muscles in his neck bulging. The square cutouts turned white, a line of erasers that began wiping away the ruined house from the center out.

"It appears your cage is no longer yours," Dante said, dropping to the street once more.

The jagged white hole expanded to consume the house, then spilled into the alley, the sidewalk, the sky. Joey's insides clenched up and the back of his throat turned dry.

"I think . . ." he trailed off.

The white began to swallow the neighboring houses. Gozaburo stumbled back as it reached for him. He clenched a fist. Released it. Clenched again. His knuckles whitened, his muscles shook. The growing white gave no response.

"Run." Joey's throat tightened, cutting the word into a whisper. He shook his head, scrambled to his feet, and pushed Dante ahead of him. "Run!"

* * *

Yori let out a reflexive cry the moment she felt herself falling. She hit the ground too hard to keep her feet, so she rolled over her shoulder into a crouch. Adrenaline turned her hands cold and her blood hot.

Yami hit the ground in front of her with much less grace, and at the moment, she couldn't quite bring herself to feel sorry for him, though she did take the time to ask, "You alright?"

He cradled his head in one hand and managed a shallow nod. Blinking his eyes open, he looked around them. Yori followed suit. They had landed at the edge of a park in downtown Domino. It looked familiar—Yori had played a few concerts with Love Is in almost the same spot—but it felt slightly off, like something had vanished since she'd last been there. The grass felt weak under her feet. Flat rather than spongy.

But it didn't matter since it wasn't the real place anyway, so she didn't dwell on it long. She pushed herself to her feet and turned in a circle, searching for anyone else in their group. The park stood vacant even of virtual people; she and Yami were alone.

"What happened?" Yami asked, climbing to his feet. He staggered a few steps, but caught the back of a park bench to steady himself.

Yori frowned. "You expect me to know?"

Her voice came out more clipped than she'd intended, but it was another thing she couldn't quite bring herself to feel sorry for. Yami gave her a wounded look that only served to fuel the embers of emotion burning in her chest.

"I was only asking as a reflexive response," he said. He craned his neck back to look up at the tops of the trees spearing the sky. "Where are we?"

"Gee, I dunno, Yami, maybe the moon."

He took a step back, his eyebrows drawing together. "Are you alright?"

No, she most certainly wasn't. And now that he had asked, he had asked for it.

She threw her arms out in a carefree expression. "I'm completely fine, and I sure thought you were too from the way you think this is all normal and good."

He hesitated, glancing at the surrounding trees as if they might hold the least dangerous response. "I . . . I'm afraid I don't understand your meaning."

Her eyes flashed violet fire. "You telling me what I can't do with my own choices. _That_ is my meaning. You putting everyone's lives at risk because you obviously don't trust me."

Understanding dawned on his face and he held up his arms, instantly defensive. "It has nothing to do with trust, I—"

She plowed right over his protests. "It has _everything_ to do with trust. When I say I can handle myself in a fight, I mean it, and you know it!" She held up her hand, scarred with a chain and the remnants of a knife's path. "Remember this night, on a darkened street in a fight no one thought I could handle? I have a million other marks to match. I have been surviving on my own long enough to know when I can and can't handle a fight, and the idea that you can suddenly come along after a week and know better than me is an _insult."_

Yami stared at her, jaw slack. His arms lowered, the energy in his muscles draining down through his fingertips. The air between them was strung with silence.

Yori's breath came hard in her throat and she dragged a frustrated hand through her hair. Of course Yami hadn't meant to insult her, she knew that, but what hurt was that he didn't know her well enough to know that it would. She hadn't let him come close enough yet to fully see who she was, but she wore her pride on her sleeve. Her determination. If he couldn't respect those, could she trust him with something more sacred like her insecurities or her dreams?

Yami took a half-step forward. He opened his mouth, but whatever he meant to say evaporated as he stared over her shoulder. His brows drew together, then smoothed out as his eyes widened.

As she cast a glance over her shoulder, Yori's eyes widened as well.

The line where sidewalk met grass at the edge of the park had fragmented, chipping itself into jagged squares that tumbled into a widening white hole. The hole expanded with no respect to dimensions, swallowing the ground around it and the sky above with careless, growing hunger.

A shiver rippled through Yori's skin, tensing the muscles through her shoulders. Her instincts screamed out a threat warning as the unnatural white washed over the vibrant scenery.

"We have to get to the arcade," Yami said, and his voice held a calm reason that contrasted with his blood-drained face.

"That way." Yori pointed, her legs already pushing her into a run down the middle of the Domino street. Yami kept step with her.

A glance back showed that the white hole was growing faster with everything it devoured. In a heartbeat, it swallowed the park bench Yami had used as leverage. Then the sidewalk and curb. Rather than spilling onto the trees and gnawing its way up their trunks, it expanded to consume them whole, like a white sun stretching to devour the planets.

Yori forced her eyes to the road, her heartbeat drumming in time with her feet on the pavement. Her palms turned cold and slick with sweat. Unwanted emotion raised goosebumps on the back of her neck like a frozen breeze. Fear. Tremors skittered through her skin; her mouth grew dry and hot. _This_ was a fight she couldn't handle.

She shot another quick look at the supernova and tried to convince herself that it was only disintegrating the digital environment. Maybe it would have no effect on them at all. Maybe it would transport them back to the real world.

And yet her instincts screamed of danger more than ever before. What if it devoured their minds as easily as any other object in the world?

They were only a block from the arcade—they had to make it before the swallowing sun erased their only chance for escape, and them with it.

"Around the corner!" She pointed Yami in the right direction. He darted around it. She hesitated for just a second, trying to gauge how fast the danger was growing. It had to be moving at least as fast as they were, and still speeding up.

She bit down on her tongue, turned, and pushed her legs their hardest. Yami had faltered, waiting for her. She grabbed his arm, dragging him to match her fast pace.

The arcade stood at the end of the street, bright neon sign leering at them like a taunt. Sunlight glinted off the top edges of the doors. Angled reflections of buildings etched the glass beneath it.

Yori forced herself not to look back. Her eyes fixed on the arcade doors. Beyond them stood the real world and the idea of living in it had never tasted so sweet.

The buildings lining the street begin to fragment. The road under her feet cracked. The arcade was less than twenty feet away.

She released Yami's arm—half-threw him toward the glass doors. Her palms connected with the slick glass. A shock wave jarred through her bones.

The world turned white.

* * *

_Authoress's Note: Ha ha! Less than a month between updates! I am flying! ...Just kidding, I know I am terrible. I apologize! But I'm working on it. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I hope to hear from you so I know I haven't chased away all my readers. Have a nice day!_

_**SPECIAL CHAPTER!**_


	40. Chapter 39: Exit

_Chapter 39: Exit_

Krisalyn burst into the Virtual World control room and practically threw herself at the console. The screens lit up at contact, thankfully, and the first command she keyed in reactivated the overhead power. As it flooded the room, momentarily blinding her, it almost managed to remove her focus from the psychopath she'd barely escaped.

Red lights flashed on the ceiling, carrying the same alarm from the hallways. The computer announced twenty-three minutes to missile impact and counting. Krisalyn growled at the system and deactivated the alarm in the room. Hearing every minute counted aloud would only make her more high-strung and accident prone. Best to just leave the countdown in the hallway and hurry up with the Virtual World. She willed her mind to keep track of time on its own. Everyone needed to be back on the blimp—or in her case, in her helicopter—and taking off from the base at least ten minutes before the missile impact. Otherwise they would be caught in the explosion.

"Noah!" she shouted, opening an audio link into the Virtual World. "Can you hear me?"

She managed a visual link just a few seconds later after fumbling the code once. Her fingers still trembled and she could feel the blood trickling down her arm from her elbow. The metal beneath her feet was like ice on her bare skin. Every input from her senses made shoving Malik from her mind that much harder. Her breathing came ragged and fast in her raw throat and she couldn't escape the horrible thought that for a few moments, the abstract concept of death that she'd never before feared had been very very real. And suddenly it made perfect sense why people were terrified to die. She had so many things left unfinished, unattempted.

If I manage to survive, that'll change, she vowed silently.

Noah flickered into view on the screen, looking dazed and—if Krisalyn didn't know better—she would almost think _pained._

"Something's wrong," he said. He raised one hand and rubbed his palm against his forehead, squinting at her. "Something's _really_ wrong. I can feel the world, it's—well, it can't—almost like it's . . ."

He closed both eyes and hunched his shoulders against some invisible force. Krisalyn's blood chilled to match the metal floor. The Virtual World had been built around Noah; he was more than just its controller. It was part of him.

"The Virtual World's shutting down," she said. "I can't stop it. I'm trying to slow it down but I don't know how much time I can buy you. Everyone needs to get out _now."_

His eyes shot wide open at that and he seemed to flounder for words. Krisalyn typed away furiously at the console, trying every system override she knew of, but the program refused to accept any of them. Green lights across the panel died into a fiery red, like the Virtual World was bleeding into the control room. What would that do to Noah?

"Noah, now!" she shouted.

"Shutting down?" he repeated, like her words from before had been a secret message he'd finally managed to decode. His eyes seemed to look right through her and his voice held a calm that raised goosebumps on her skin—a calm that seemed to say he was considering something other than leaving and was trying to calculate how much time he had.

She glared at him with all the fire she could muster. "Noah, don't you dare."

He didn't even seem to register the words.

"How much time?" he asked.

"I don't know!" Two more lights turned red. "The program code is locked; it isn't responding to anything. For all I know you might only have sec—"

The row of pods along the wall behind her hissed, the sound of one of them opening. She whirled around; the two pods at the end opened up and the screens above them darkened, showing that they'd been disconnected from the Virtual World.

Krisalyn felt a tiny flash of hope. Two was a start. It would take a few minutes for their minds to readjust to the real world, but they were safe from any damage they might sustain from being in the Virtual World as it shut down. "Damage" that could be a soft way of saying "vegetable state for the brain."

She turned back to the screen. "Okay, two people just exited the world. Do you know where the others are? I can open up exits right at their locations."

At least, she hoped she could. Since it was just part of the normal system code rather than an override, the program shouldn't reject an exit command. Probably.

Noah's face set in a firm, determined expression. "I can find them. Keep the visual locked on me and open an exit as soon as you see anyone else."

Genius. She gave the best smile she could muster under the circumstances. Noah Kaiba more than lived up to his family name.

She anchored the visual window to him so that when he traveled in the Virtual World, the link would move as well. It would have taken more time than they had for her to type out a search algorithm so the computer could pinpoint the location of living minds within the world code, but Noah could _feel_ people in his world, which meant he could find them instantly.

The boy closed his eyes and the scene behind him melted from downtown Domino to an empty black. Barely a heartbeat later, colors splashed into the screen, painting themselves into a different area of the city.

"Got 'em," Krisalyn said, already keying in the code for an exit. Noah had appeared next to Serenity Wheeler, who gasped at his sudden appearance, clutching the monkey version of Tristan Taylor closer to her.

Noah gave an awkward smile to the shocked girl which almost made Krisalyn laugh. Despite the danger, she was feeling more alive by the second just by being around him. There was something about Malik that was inhuman and terrifying and made even Noah—trapped in computer code without a body—seem like the most vibrant human alive.

A line of green lights flashed and Krisalyn felt a flash of triumph. The computer accepted the exit code and it enveloped Serenity and Tristan, dissolving their images on the screen. Along the wall, two more pods hissed.

"Onward," Noah said, and his smile turned a little less awkward, a little more alive.

"Admit it," Krisalyn said, unable to help it. "You enjoy helping people instead of fighting them."

The way he ducked his head said it all. He pointed an accusing finger at her. "And you enjoy going against my father even though he hired you."

"Technically, when my brother asked for this favor, he said 'Mr. Kaiba' was the employer." Krisalyn shrugged and raised her eyebrows innocently. "There are three of you running around in there—I can't help it if I get a little confused on who to follow."

Noah let out a breath that almost sounded like a laugh.

Two more lights on the console blinked red, snapping Krisalyn back to the harsh reality.

She grimaced. "We're losing time. Lead on, Mr. Kaiba."

No more prompting was needed. Noah closed his eyes and transported to another area of the virtual Domino. This time he was almost bowled over by a fleeing Duke Devlin.

"Noah!" Duke shouted. His expression twisted, seeming to fight between distrust and hope.

Something behind him drew Krisalyn's eyes and her heart dropped into her stomach. She activated an exit for Duke as quickly as possible.

"Krisalyn . . ." Noah said, trailing off. His voice held a tremor of fear.

Duke vanished, leaving the growing expanse of white behind him fully visible. It swallowed everything at an exponential rate, gnawing through the world faster than she could hope to keep up if she even tried to save it.

"Get out of there!" she snapped, trying to hide the fear in her own voice.

Noah closed his eyes again, but a moment later let out a cry of what could only be pain. The black behind him fragmented into glimpses of a street corner, then changed to a row of buildings. He dropped to his knees on the empty sidewalk, hands clutched around his head.

"What's wrong?" Krisalyn demanded.

Noah only moaned.

Her blood ran cold and she glanced down at the console desperately. There was nothing she could do. Full access to the computer code and she was useless because Gozaburo had given the base complete override for the emergency alert. He should have set up the system so that the Virtual World could never be shut down, even if it took all the power the base had to sustain it. Somehow she knew it wasn't just that he didn't care what the shutdown would do to his son's mind—he had never even considered it. It meant less than nothing to him.

"I can't hold on to it," Noah ground out, fisting his hands in his now-black hair. (Krisalyn suddenly realized she hadn't even noticed the change. It looked natural on him—more natural than the virtual green ever had.) "Everything's breaking. It's falling apart."

"Seven more people," Krisalyn said. "We can do this. Just hurry."

Even as she said it, she searched the rows of buttons and controls before her. Why was there no "mass exit" button to just pull everyone out at once? Whatever moron Gozaburo hired to program his Virtual World needed to be shot in the knee and forced to program vending machines for the rest of his life.

Noah shoved himself back to his feet and closed his eyes again. Though his face remained twisted in pain, when the world sorted itself out around him this time, it was the right location.

Krisalyn opened an exit for Téa Gardner. "Halfway there, Noah."

He closed his eyes, then slid them open again, frowning at her. "You're counting _everyone."_

She glared, because she knew exactly who he wasn't counting. "As soon as we get everyone else out, I'm pulling you out too."

His eyebrows pulled together and he looked away. Though she knew he was eighteen, he looked like the twelve-year-old boy his appearance was trapped at, lonely and unwilling to admit it.

"You know I don't have a body," he whispered. "When the Virtual World disappears, I will too. So will my father and the Big Five."

"Noah—"

"It's fine," he interrupted, the lie visible in his tired eyes. "I've been dead for six years. It's about time I accepted it."

He closed his eyes and reappeared outside the Kaiba Corp headquarters. Krisalyn ground her teeth, but remained silent. He was right, and she knew it, but screw right. If all her computer knowledge couldn't save the boy she'd come to regard as her best friend, what was the point of having it? There was a way to save Noah; she just had to _think._

Seto Kaiba dropped into a fighting position the instant Noah appeared, placing himself in front of his younger brother like it was his first instinct for any threat. Which it probably was. Krisalyn looked away, feeling a flood of heat in her face that was anything but comforting. She'd never exactly prided herself on being a legendary judge of character, but she should have given Seto Kaiba a chance. Her brother should have given him a chance.

"Well, isn't this the height of ironic?" Noah said, giving a smile that almost managed to look calm. He gestured at the building towering over them. "All three of us reunited outside the family business."

Mokuba darted around Seto and threw his arms around Noah. While Seto didn't appear more than mildly surprised, Noah looked like someone had thrown a grand piano at his head.

"We thought something terrible had happened to you!" Mokuba cried, his voice caught between accusing and relieved.

"_He_ thought something terrible had happened," Seto corrected, his own voice indifferent. "I knew you were too much like a cockroach to be killed."

That seemed to give Noah the anchor he needed to shake himself back to normal. He hesitantly hugged Mokuba back and gave Seto a glare that held no genuine heat.

"Thanks, Seto," he drawled. "How did I ever survive without a step-brother like you to shower me with compliments?"

Seto shrugged. "One of the wonders of the world."

Krisalyn rolled her eyes and keyed in the exit code. Seto vanished almost instantly, but she hesitated for Mokuba, since he was still latched firmly onto Noah.

Mokuba noticed the absence of his older brother almost immediately, and he turned to search.

"It's okay," Noah said. "Krisalyn pulled him out of the Virtual World. You need to get out too." He hesitated, then rested a hand on Mokuba's shoulder. He stared at it for a moment like he almost couldn't believe the interaction was real, then said, "I'm sorry. For everything I did. I . . . I know it doesn't change anything, but I want you to know I'd take it back if I could."

Mokuba shook his head almost before Noah finished. "It doesn't matter. All that matters is that you changed. Now we can be brothers for real!"

He grinned and Krisalyn looked away as a pang of longing for her own little brother stabbed through her. She spent so much time trying to measure up to her big brother that Leon sometimes fell through the cracks.

I'll fix it, she vowed. If I survive all of this, I'll fix everything.

"Krisalyn," Noah said softly, his voice frayed and weak at the edges. She bit her lip, realizing that he was reaching out because he didn't know how to say goodbye. He'd probably never even considered thinking of Seto and Mokuba as real brothers after so long trying to bring Seto down.

Well, he didn't need to say goodbye. Once Mokuba exited, there would only be three people left and then she could get Noah out too.

She hesitated at the thought. One of those three people was Gozaburo, and he was as much a part of the Virtual World now as Noah was. She would have to pull them both out at once. So two people left. Wait, but one of those was the crazy dragon boy intruder who should never have existed in the first place. He didn't have a body waiting safe in a pod, so how was she supposed to do anything with him? Pull him out with Noah and Gozaburo as well? Where had his mind even _come_ from?

Maybe she could just ask him. The thought was almost funny.

It didn't matter anyway. One thing at a time, and Mokuba was first. She opened an exit for the boy and an instant later, one more pod hissed open.

After Mokuba vanished, Noah didn't move. He remained locked in place, his eyes on his extended hand that was still curled around an invisible shoulder. Then he slowly curled his fingers into a fist and lowered his hand.

"One more stop," he said, and this time he'd kept all the emotion from his voice. He was all too good at that.

"Then it's your turn," Krisalyn said firmly.

He just closed his eyes and transported to the final location.

* * *

_Authoress's Note: So let's see, in the time since you saw me last . . . I finished writing a book. An original book. Yep. Completed a year of school, got a promotion and a raise (50 cents, huzzah! xD), and had the police called on me for stupidity. So I promise when I don't update, it isn't just because I'm lazy. xP I am sorry I'm so ridiculously slow though. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! There will only be one or two more chapters before this part of the story is completed, can you believe it? (Possibly three at the maximum, which I'm really only saying to cover my bases)_

**_SPECIAL CHAPTER COMING SOON! SUBMIT TO ME ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE ON ANYTHING!_**


	41. Chapter 40: We All Fall Down

_Chapter 40: We All Fall Down_

"Joey!" Dante shouted. "An idea occurs to me!"

Joey gaped up at the dragon-human. The only idea Joey cared about at the moment was one that kept them safe from the massive white hole eating through the world behind him. So far, he had managed to stay ahead of it by sheer adrenaline, running faster than he ever had in his life. Dante had taken to the sky and had been rooftop-hopping, looking back to keep reminding Joey how very close the freaky white thing was.

He didn't know if Gozaburo was running behind him too or if the white hole had swallowed him already. It wasn't worth looking back to check.

Dante leaped to another roof, dropping into a crouch right on the edge, leaning halfway into empty space. The sight gave Joey another healthy dose of adrenaline.

The crazy guy didn't even seem to notice himself balanced on the edge of falling. "This is not your world, correct?"

Joey wanted to scream that no, it had nothing to do with him—it was Noah's freaky psycho-trap for Kaiba, and now he was going to die here anyway.

He didn't have the breath to spare for that, so he had to settle for a furious _"NO!"_

Dante nodded and tipped himself over the edge, swooping down to the street. He fell into step with Joey's mad-dash pace, his wings shrinking and fading against his black shirt until they were gone.

Joey didn't have more than a second to dwell on the strange company he seemed to keep these days.

"In mere moments, we will be consumed by that white abyss," Dante said conversationally, like they were about to be overtaken by some puffy rain clouds instead of a world-eating monster.

"Gee, _really?"_ he gasped out, unable to think of a sufficiently brutal response while he was running for his life.

"But it occurs to me that Mistress is gone."

Joey whipped his head around to stare at the maniac, his mouth working open and closed like a puppet.

Finally he screamed, "What does that have to do with—"

He had a lot more to add to that, but lost his voice to a coughing fit. If this was a virtual world, he should be able to run for eternity with no side-effects, and yet his throat was raw, his breathing ragged, his legs giving out. The next time he saw Noah, he was going to break the punk's neck.

They darted across a street. The houses began to thin around them and Joey realized they were in one of his old gang neighborhoods. Or they would have been, if they were in the real world.

Dante glanced over his shoulder; his expression didn't inspire much hope for their time left alive.

Maybe the white thing only eats the world, Joey thought. Yeah, maybe it only eats the world and it leaves people perfectly fine. In fact, it probably enhances people, turns them into superheroes. It's gonna turn me into Superman and I'll outfly Dante and punch Noah right into space. And Rich-boy too.

Yeah, and maybe I'll tell Serenity to marry Kaiba and I'll wear a dress to their wedding.

"I don't want to die," he whispered, squeezing his eyes closed against the world. Not like this. Not running from some unknown terror, completely alone except for a stranger he'd barely met.

He hoped Serenity and Yugi had made it out of the virtual world. He hoped they didn't have to face this thing too.

"Perhaps I should rephrase," Dante said. "I can no longer feel Mistress in _this_ world. She seems to be distant."

Joey shot him a glare, but then his words clicked. Noah had said after he got everyone else out, he'd come back for them.

If you make it _now,_ Joey vowed silently, I take back any desire to break your neck.

Which was more than fair, considering everything was Noah's fault.

As if summoned by the very thought, Noah appeared at the end of the street. Joey could have kissed him.

Dante let out a laugh that sounded far too self-satisfied. His wings appeared in an instant and he kicked off from the ground, speeding toward the street corner.

Then a strange chill tingled through Joey's skin. His senses dulled to numbness from the tips of his fingers to the center of his heart and he seemed to be floating. A frown crossed his face, one that he almost had to consciously think to form. Some corner of his mind realized he'd stopped running. But he wanted to run. He wanted to . . .

He looked down. His legs had disappeared into an expanse of white. As he watched, it smoothly continued to consume him, seeming almost graceful in the way it dissolved him into little squares of color that flared and then vanished. He tried to raise his hands away from it, but the white had already snagged onto his elbows, threading across his arms.

Someone screamed a name; it didn't sound like his, it sounded like "Krisalyn." That name was familiar, but he sort of wished they would have said his name, because suddenly he couldn't remember what it was.

He closed his eyes to try to think of it, and he saw only white.

* * *

After screaming for Krisalyn, already knowing it was too late, Noah let out a strangled sound even he didn't understand. The growing white abyss consumed Joey Wheeler in a second. There was nothing he could do.

But it was still growing, swallowing the world, and there was one person left in its path.

Dante had almost reached him before he glanced back and stopped cold, dropping to a stumbling halt on the sidewalk. He dived back toward the place where Joey had disappeared just as Noah lunged for him. Noah managed to snag a hold on the end of his wing, which was all he needed.

He closed his eyes and transported them back to where he'd been only moments before—standing before Kaiba Corp.

He released the dragon boy's wing instantly, shaking his fingers as if he could shake off the strange reality he'd been faced with. Dante had come from nowhere—he had no body in a virtual pod outside. He wasn't part of the virtual world either, and yet in the duel against the Big Five, he had functioned as part of the game. Dragons didn't exist, and yet here he was.

And, Noah realized, as Dante turned glowing crimson eyes on him, he was furious.

"I'm sorry," Noah said quietly, guessing as to the reason. The words almost didn't come, not because they weren't true but because they were so inadequate.

"You _left_ him." The snarled words even sounded dragon-like. Bestial.

Noah said nothing. Joey had already been gone; there was nothing else he could have done, but saying that out loud would be meaningless.

"So this is what it comes down to," said another voice.

Noah whirled to face Kaiba Corp and met the cold eyes of his father. The man stood with his back to the building's glass doors, and they reflected the golden sunlight around him like he was some holy avenging angel.

"The world is collapsing," Noah said, and he wondered why he said it. Did he expect his father to suddenly reconcile with him because this was their very last chance before they were both erased from existence?

No. But he hoped.

"Yes," Gozaburo agreed, "and you seem to have let all the bodies go."

The way he said it let Noah know without a shadow of doubt that there could be no reconciliation between them whether they died today or lived a thousand years. But, then, who had he been fooling to ever hope otherwise?

"So what do you expect comes next?" His father's face was unreadable, completely composed from the last time they'd faced each other. "Do I finally kill you myself? Or wait for the white hole to catch us both?"

"Krisalyn is finding a way for us to leave." Even though he knew it was impossible, even though he had no body to go to, she had sounded so sure that Noah found himself hoping. It was a stupid habit, one that was constantly disappointing him.

But, then, if this hope proved to be false, disappointment would be the last of his problems.

"You're a naïve child, Noah, and when the world collapses around us, my biggest regret will be that I wasn't the one driving that car six years ago."

Noah let out a humorless laugh. "No need to regret that. You were the one driving me into the street."

For a moment, Noah wondered if he had a biggest regret. There were so very many.

Then he heard Mokuba's mind in his voice and he had it. If he could do it over, it would have been his world, without the Big Five, without his father, and when Mokuba and Seto entered it, he could have shown them anything they could imagine.

It wouldn't have left him any less alone in the end, but at least then when they remembered him, it would have been all good memories.

"Was it worth it, Father?" Noah asked. "Everything you ever did in life, it all led to this moment. Was it worth it?"

Gozaburo only snarled at threw himself forward.

* * *

"_No!"_ Krisalyn screamed, slamming her hand down on the console. She'd been opening the exit—she'd keyed in the code as fast as she could. The collapse of the virtual world was faster.

Lines of blue code scrolled across the screen on her left, showing the linear exit path. A pod hissed open behind her.

Maybe it hadn't been too late. Maybe everything was fine.

Noah had reacted instantly, transporting the dragon boy and himself away from the center of the collapse. Wherever they were, they were safe for the moment.

Krisalyn darted away from the controls to Joey Wheeler's virtual pod. Everyone else who had been released from the virtual world were stumbling out of their own pods, trying to get their bearings after the sudden rip of their minds from the world.

"Joey?" Krisalyn said, grabbing the boy's arm. She didn't even know him, but if anything had happened to his mind, it was all her fault. She should have been faster. She should never have agreed to help in this virtual madness to begin with.

"Joey?" a voice repeated, then another.

The boy's eyes remained closed and he gave no response when she shook him.

"Joey?" one of the girls asked, her voice high and trembling. "What's wrong with him?"

Krisalyn could only let out a low moan. She looked up at the monitor above Joey's pod, but it only tracked connection to the virtual world and so had gone blank. His mind definitely wasn't in the virtual world, but that didn't mean it was in the real one either.

"He needs medical attention," she said. Who knew if that would help anything, but at least a medical team had a better chance of diagnosing and fixing a problem than she did. She wasn't dealing with a computer here; this was a human mind, and that was far outside her expertise.

Just standing there would do no good. The only chance he had was getting to an expert medical team, and that couldn't happen if they all died on the base.

She backed up to face the wide-eyed group. "Everyone needs to get back to Kaiba's blimp _now._ I've disabled everything holding it in place, so as soon as you have everyone on board, take off immediately. We have less than fifteen minutes to missile impact."

She reached into a metal cupboard under the console rack and produced the bracelet she'd taken from Yori when they first entered the virtual world. She tossed it to the other girl, then pointed at the door.

"Straight down the hall, first right and take the stairs to the top level. Go. All of you. Now."

"What about Dante?" Yori demanded, her eyes glinting dangerously.

"I don't know how he even exists, but I'm doing my best to get _everyone_ out."

Mokuba was suddenly at her side, both of his hands gripping one of hers.

"Noah, too?" he asked fiercely. "I won't leave him behind."

She caught Seto watching her over the boy's head, but he said nothing.

"Noah too," she promised. "You have to get to the hanger. Now."

"Everyone, go," Seto said, the authority in his voice far outmatching hers. Everyone finally began to move.

Krisalyn started for the control panel, only to have a hand clamp over her arm. She hissed at the pain the action stirred in her injured limb and jerked away. Tristan barely seemed to notice.

"What have you done to Joey?" he growled.

"I haven't done anything to him." Though her mind whispered she could have done more. If she had just been faster.

The boy cussed. "You're lying."

"Your psychotic traveling companion did that to him when he targeted five full-power missiles at this base."

"Tristan," someone else said, "she's been helping us. Back off."

"Shut up, Devlin."

Krisalyn kept her gaze even and her voice steady. "If you don't get him on that blimp right now, you won't be able to help him at all. Those missiles have enough blasting force to level a major city."

"Tristan, come on," Téa said, stepping up beside him. "We have to go."

Tristan had murder in his eyes, but Krisalyn stood strong. She'd faced far scarier than him that day. Finally he cussed again and turned away. With Duke's help, he slung Joey's unconscious form over his shoulder and the group finally began to exit the room.

Only the Kaiba brothers lingered.

"What happened to Wheeler?" Seto asked. His tone was hard and demanding.

Krisalyn moved away, back to the controls. She kept her shoulders hunched, like they shielded her against her own guilt.

"The virtual world is collapsing. Gozaburo programmed it as a non-essential, secondary system, so under the threat, the base is shutting it down. Joey got caught in the collapse before I could finish the exit code."

"So his mind was damaged." Of course Seto had already followed through to the conclusion. He made his living in virtual technology, even if it wasn't as complex as Gozaburo's system.

"We don't know that," Krisalyn said, refusing to meet his eyes. "Who says I didn't get him out in time?"

"You don't believe you got him out in time."

Krisalyn flipped on the activation for the alarm system with more force than was necessary. The red warning light flashed to life over their heads, accompanied by the siren wail.

"Time to missile impact," the overhead system announced in that calm, robotic voice, "eleven minutes and counting."

"You should be on that blimp right now," Krisalyn said.

Mokuba shook his head violently, stepping into the conversation. "We can't leave without Noah. He's our brother!"

"I told you I'd—" she started to protest.

Seto spoke over the top of her. "How are you planning to pull him out when he has no body to return to?"

Krisalyn hesitated, then realized there was no time for that. She'd wanted everyone to be on their way off the base with ten minutes left to impact. Each lost second impacted their chances of survival.

"My brother designed a virtual system that exists in a computer network," she said. Oh, how he would kill her if he found out she'd told this to _Seto Kaiba_ of all people. The man he most hated. "It hasn't worked too well with any live person who's tried to plug their mind into it, but it's no failure in the system. We assume the minds trying to navigate it are too ingrained in reality to be able to traverse a network—which would take an ability to accept yourself as part of the computer code. Noah has been part of a virtual system so long, I think he can do that. I think if I can transfer his mind to Z's network, Noah could actually make it work."

Seto's brows had drawn together in a deeply thoughtful expression.

"The base has locked down," he said. "Will it allow you connection to another network?"

She was relieved he didn't waste time asking who her brother was or why he would have a virtual network. "No. I'll have to hack it."

Which left her with her biggest problem. She hadn't been able to override the virtual system, and overriding the network isolation would probably be as difficult or more. She didn't have the time to blunder around in trial and error.

"No, _I'll_ have to hack it," Seto said, and for a moment she just stared at him, wondering if he was parroting her for mockery's sake, or because he really meant it.

But he was studying the control panel intently, already flipping switches, opening command boxes.

"What are you doing?" Krisalyn asked, unable to think of anything more intelligent.

"Hacking the network," he drawled, like she was a few circuits short of a motherboard and he was gracious to explain.

The warning system announced ten minutes.

"You're supposed to be on that blimp!" Krisalyn protested. "I can—"

"You cracked my security system. That's as impressive as it is annoying. But how long did it take you?"

"Almost six hours."

"Then if we had six hours to waste, I'd gladly leave it to you."

"I was breaching a full system and implementing my own complete override. This is—"

"Different. Exactly." For just an instant, Seto turned burning ice eyes on her. "We have a relative-safety window of approximately five minutes, and an ideal window of much less. This is a lockdown program devoid of excess complexities or loopholes, designed by a man who writhes in agony at the very thought of being undermined or losing control in any way. I happen to be the one mind who knows exactly how he thinks and has beaten him in every match he's dared face me in."

A red warning window flashed on the screen, only to turn white in an instant. Seto's fingers flew on the keys, quickly enough that Krisalyn couldn't even follow the commands as he inputted them.

She swallowed as the thought struck her that if Seto had been the one at the controls, Joey's exit would have appeared in time.

"And even if he's back from the dead," Seto continued in a growl, "I'll still beat him. As many times as it takes."

Mokuba nudged her arm, beaming up at her. "Seto's a genius. He'll crack Gozaburo's system!"

The warning sounded out nine minutes left to impact.


End file.
